Crash Into Me
by BePassionate24
Summary: All Human. AU. When Elena Mikaelson learns that her husband is dying. She decides to move back to Seattle after he's gone. There, Elena meets a group of strangers that live in her apartment building. Their lives connect as they all experience love, loss, heartbreak and healing, along the way creating meaningful friendships and romances.(Pairings: Stelena,Klaroline,Bamon,Mabekah)
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hey all! So, this is my new story! I've been playing around with this idea for months now and I finally found some time to write it. It's going to be similar to my other stories in the sense of it will have flashbacks throughout that explain more about each character. This story will include: Stelena, Klaroline, Bamon and Mebekah. **

**Please let me know what you think. Because, this is just the prologue and I won't continue it if I don't have enough people interested in wanting to read more. **

**Anyways, as usual Thank you all so much for reading & Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries. I just use the characters for my own entertainment! :) **

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**Crash Into Me – Prologue**

**Elena's P.O.V.**

"The cancer's back. I'm sorry, Mrs. Mikaelson." The doctor tells me as I blink my eyes at him and try to push back the tears that are welling up into them again. I can't stop crying, not since I had to rush Kol back to the hospital for what I thought was just a cold that he had after he told me that he couldn't take a full breath. We had thought that he'd be fine. Because, just a year earlier.. My husband had been in perfect health when we got married last year in November after the doctors had told us he was in remission. Kol Mikaelson was the epitome of any guy his age. He was perfectly healthy, ate well, exercised as much as he could, took all his vitamins and went to almost all of his check ups and yet, none of that could stop it from coming back. Everything came to a grounding halt when at one of his appointments, they found a mass in his chest again.

I shiver at the thought of losing him and watching him become someone unrecognizable to my own eyes as he slowly begins to fade. I refuse to watch my husband of only one year, and the love of my life since I was a little girl, die in a hospital that's so cold and way too familiar to both of us.

"How am I supposed to tell him?" I find myself sobbing in my hands as I feel the doctors comforting hand on my shoulder when he whispers "There is never any easy way to tell a loved one. Elena, if you want me to tell him. I can..You don't need to do this alone." He tells me in a sweet tone as I lock my watery brown eyes on him and inhale sharply.

"How long does he have? Please, Dr. Phillips! He's only 23 years old. How long does he have?" I'm nearly shouting my question in his office as he leans back into his chair and he folds his hands together on the table.

"It's not a bad cold like we had suspected. It's a very aggressive form of cancer this time. Elena, he has about six months to live. It's terminal this time. There isn't anything we can do for him anymore. But, make him feel comfortable. I am so sorry." The words register in my head as my body tries to process what he's telling me and just when I think I can wrap my mind around the fact that I'm about to lose my best friend to something that we had both tried so hard to prevent from happening. I hear a light knock at the door and deep cough escaping past his lungs. I feel my stomach tighten, my tears spill over my cheeks when the door gets pushed open and Kol's cheerful voice rings through the dead silent room when I glance up at him with watery brown eyes and he asks. " Elena. Honey, what's going on?"

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**Caroline's P.O.V.**

"Get out! You cheating son of a bitch!" I'm screaming it at the top of my lungs as I throw my expensive pair of Steven Madden black high heel pumps towards his face, watching Tyler Lockwood dodge them with each throw that I take at his body, flinging the shoes across the room and not even giving a damn when I miss and hit the wall behind him.

"I really hope that one of these hits you straight in the face or better yet, right in the head! Since, then maybe my line of defense could be that it was a freak accident when you got struck in the head with my high heels!" I scream at him, watching Tyler lift his body back up from behind the kitchen counter, lifting up his hands in defeat.

"Caroline, I didn't cheat on you! I swear, she's lying!" He tries to say as I exhale deeply, unpacking one of my shoes from the moving boxes that I had began packing just a few weeks ago when I had thought that I'd be finally moving out of this apartment and into a house with him...My boyfriend since college, the one that I had given up my dreams of becoming an artist for!

"We were supposed to close on the house and now, I have to live in this shitty apartment that has stains and that will always remind me of you!" I shout at him, watching Tyler shake his head, as he slowly starts to walk towards me, noticing the anger that's seeping into my blue eyes.

"I didn't sleep with her, Caroline. I promise you that I didn't. Please, just listen to me when I tell you that I love you. Please, believe me." He pleads as I drop the shoe on to the ground, realizing that throwing my favorite pair of shoes at Tyler Lockwood would be a waste of time and energy.

"Sure, you did. That's why she texted me those pictures of the two of you at her house together. Don't lie to me! Sure, Tyler...Go ahead and tell me once more that you didn't sleep with my cousin. Maybe, I'll believe you! For god sakes, I trusted you. Hell, I even trusted her. Now, you both broke that trust. Just get out! Please, leave!" I yell at him, watching as he tries to touch me and I swat his arms away, screaming at him to get the hell out of my life so that I never have to see him again.

It doesn't take him very long, moments after standing in silence that he finally decides to go. I guess the guilt of sleeping with my cousin, Ariel finally got to him because as he closes the door and I start to crumble on the floor of the apartment that we had shared for the last 2 years. I hear him say "I didn't mean to do it. I'm so sorry for hurting you."

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**Bonnie's P.O.V.**

I've never been in love. I'm 22 years old and I've never had that warm fuzzy feeling or butterflies in my stomach that most people talk about when they mention the name of a lover or someone that they have a crush on.

Sure, I've had crushes on lots of men and have fooled around with a few. But, it's never progressed to anything further than "She's just my friend, Bonnie Bennett."

I've always been the third wheel to social events and would awkwardly sit by my friends as they all gushed about their boyfriends and who was sleeping with whom.

But, over the years and throughout college I was still the odd one out. Even though it was hard to accept and come to terms with. I think that I finally have now that I've got a successful job as a nurse and am living on my own after moving away from Mystic Falls, Virginia and into the beautiful and big city of Seattle, Washington. The apartment I live in is beautiful and fairly quiet. Except for the fact that my new neighbor who I've learned is named 'Caroline. Keeps shouting at her boyfriend to get out of her place and that he's a cheating, lying, no good son of a bitch.. Let's just say that Tyler- doesn't sound like the greatest boyfriend in the world and if I ever meet my neighbor Caroline. I'll make sure to tell her that!

Part of me feels pretty bad for the poor girl because I could only imagine what that must feel like to be cheated on, I'm sure her heart aches for him and then again, she's probably pretty happy that he finally left the apartment after them fighting and yelling for the last 2 hours. Because, if she isn't happy about it...I sure as hell am! I finally get to read and watch Television in silence!

Ugh, it must suck to be in her shoes though..I can only hope that she's kicked him to the curb and doesn't allow him to step foot back into her apartment. Because, that's what I would do..I'd make him suffer and then, I'd never want to see his face again!

I wonder if I should go upstairs and tell her that she's done herself a favor by letting the guy named "Tyler" go? I wonder and hope that she'll find someone better than he is...I wonder if I should go over to her house and ask her to join me for a glass of wine, so that we can both celebrate her cheating boyfriend leaving!

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**Stefan's P.O.V.**

Have you ever been so in love with someone that when you think about the next few years with them by your side that you feel extremely happy about your choice?

Well, I had felt like that all the way up until today when the girl that I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with decided that she didn't love me anymore and that she was 'setting me free.' Katherine Pierce was once the love of my life that I could never imagine being without and now, she's like the runaway bride and the one who took my heart with her, all the way to another country!

It's moment in time that count, as Damon- my older brother always says. It's moments like these, sitting on the steps to the entrance of a now empty reception hall with a bottle of whiskey in my hands that cause me to question every single choice in my life that I've made so far. Part of me honestly thinks that it's also my punishment for not being the best brother, the best son or even future husband to Katherine.

Is it possible to be hated so much by the universe, that nothing ever seems to go right or the way you had pictured it?

As I sit and mentally ponder my question, I watch as Damon walks up to me, taking a seat beside me, placing his hand on to my back and exhaling deeply when he says. "She went to Canada to be with her family. I'm sorry, Stefan. She said that she can't marry you." Damon tells me as he places his hand on to my knee and I hand him the half empty bottle of whiskey, watching him tap a swig of it.

"Do you want me to drive you home? I can call us both a cab and we just drive around the city together for the rest of the night." Damon suggests as I shake my head, undoing my black tie around my neck when I glance over at my brother.

"No, I just want to go home and pack up my things..The things that Katherine and I were supposed to take to the new house together, after our honeymoon." I tell him, leaning against his shoulder as he pulls me into a hug and I feel the moist droplets of water hitting my face, quickly realizing that I'm crying because of _her._

"Let's get you home, Stefan. Come on. I'll stay with you tonight and in the morning. We'll figure out what we'll do. Now, let's just get you to your feet and back the apartment." I hear Damon tell me as I feel myself being lifted off the ground. I latch on to my brother, placing my hand onto his chest with tears in my eyes as I add. "Thank you for always having my back, Damon. Thank you, for not leaving me like everyone else seems to have done."

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**Klaus's P.O.V.**

"He's dying, Klaus." Elena comments, tears are in her eyes as she slides her body down against the wall in the waiting room of Tulane Medical Center in Louisiana, a hospital that her and I have frequented many times over the last few weeks, months and years.

We're both feet away from Dr. Phillips door where both of us know that Kol is about to receive the most devastating news of his life.

"I don't know how to do this...I'm not good at saying goodbye. I'm not good at being alone." She sobs as I crouch down in front of her and place my hand on to her shoulder, trying to comfort her.

"Listen to me, Elena. Kol needs you to be strong right now, he needs you to be his rock like you have been and it's okay to cry and be angry. It's normal to feel that way. But, Elena..You need to go home with him and you need to spend as much time as you can together...Before he's gone for good." I choke on my own words when she glances up at me with her tearful brown eyes and she opens her mouth to speak. But, nothing comes out except for strangles sobs.

"It's okay. I promise you that we're going to make it through this. We're a family and we stick together. You're part of this family, Elena. You're not just my brothers wife. You are like my sister. So, no matter what happens, I'll be here for you. Rebekah, Matt and I will be here for you. Remember that." I tell her in my most sincere tone, trying not to cry myself as I think about what kind of pain we're all about to experience, the hard blow of losing my brother, my best friend.

I've never been one to show much emotions throughout my life. Even growing up my parents would always say that I was the strongest of all the children they had. But, it changed me- the day I heard about Kol having cancer for the first time. It changed me so much that I don't take things so seriously anymore. Instead, I tend to live in the moment and see everything there is to see while I still can.

Elena's sniffling stops when she lifts her head from my shoulder and we both glance up to see Rebekah, my younger sister and Matt Donovan, her boyfriend of nearly 6 years rushing to be at our side.

"What happened? Please, tell me that it isn't true." Rebekah sobs, holding Matt's hand tightly.

I want to tell my sister and the youngest in our family that our brother's diagnosis isn't what it sounds like and that it really is a mistake as I watch Matt wrap his arms around her tightly and she immolates wailing sobs from her mouth. But, just as everyone is trying to cope with trying to figure out why. I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to learn to live without my brother, how I'm going to keep the family from falling apart, once he's gone.

Rebekah moves away from Matt and hugs Elena tightly as I stand there and watch, exhaling deeply and staring at the door that creaks open when a fragile and unusually skinny looking Kol steps out of the doctors office with tears in his own eyes.

"It's true. The cancer is back and it's spread a lot this time. There is nothing that they can do about it." He pauses, making small steps towards us when I see Elena rush over to his side, wrapping her arms around him and sobbing into his thin white t-shirt as she whispers loud enough for us to hear. "I love you, I love you so much and I never want to let you go...Please Kol, fight this...Not for me, or for the rest of the family. But, for yourself. Please, Kol...Please, we can't lose you. I can't lose you."

"I know, honey. I promise, you won't lose me. I'm going to fight this...We're going to be okay, Elena. I promise." He tells her, glancing over at me as he shakes his head and that's when I know, he's telling her a lie. He's telling his wife what she wants to hear, and in the moment, he doesn't care because all Kol Mikealson cares about to trying to live until the next day, week or month and for a dying man, that one task will prove to be impossible.

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**A/N: I know that some of it seems a bit OCC. But, please remember that it's an AU story. :) **

**Anyways...Thoughts? Should I scrap it or should I keep writing more? **

**Please let me know. **

**Follow me on Twitter at: Be_Passionate24**

**Until Next Time? **


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N:**** I first want to just say THANK YOU all so much to those who have already Favorited/ followed and reviewed this story. :)**

**It does start off pretty sad. But, it will get better, I promise. So, once again thank you all so much for reading,favoriting,following and reviewing. **

**Enjoy CH.1!**

**Follow me on Twitter for updates at:Be_Passionate24**

**P.S. A quick shout out to my awesome twitter friend, JRdrgzXO for making the cover for this story. I really love it! **

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**Crash Into Me- Chapter One **

**Kol's P.O.V.**

I love her smile. The way she holds my hand and laughs at me as I lean into her, whispering something completely stupid. She's my best friend, she has been since we were both in diapers and able to walk.

I honestly think that my mother, still has pictures of us together when we were around 3 years old, playing around in the sand when we went to a trip down the Oregon coastline.

I don't want to leave her, I don't want my life to end, I don't want to miss out of having a family with her...I don't want to die.

So, that's why I've been sitting here for the past half hour in my hospital room, writing a letter to her, one that I don't want her to open until she's found a new man to love again.

_To my sweet and loving wife...Elena,_

_If you've opened this. It only means one thing- that I didn't beat the cancer. I'm so sorry, sweetheart..I tried the best I could. Please just know that I'm going to watch over you, that I'll be there whenever you need me and whenever you want to talk. I'll listen, I'll protect you and I'll love you from afar._

_But, I also have hope that by now- as the months and years have gone by that- you've found someone to love again. A man that makes you laugh, smile and tells you that he loves you every single day, fort he rest of your life. A man that is worthy and deserve of your kind heart and loving soul._

_I just hope that he's not better looking than me..._

I drop the pen onto the bed when she walks into my room, a box of tissues in her hands when I look up at her and notice her red puffy eyes, her whole face is beat red from crying.

"Elena...Please-." I start to say, folding up the piece of paper and tucking it back into the cream colored envelop that I had placed with it. She watches me with curious eyes as I slowly place it into a file folder with the rest of my letters that I'm writing and pat the empty space beside my feet on the bed.

"Don't leave me. Please, don't leave me." She pleads in an agonizing tone, nearly tripping over herself as I exhale out a breath and open my arms widely to embrace her. Elena says nothing, tears streaming down her face when she places her head on to my chest as we lay in the small hospital bed together. Both of us coming to terms with my diagnosis. The words... "6 months and terminal" swirling around my head when I lean us back against the bed.

I feel goosebumps form onto her skin, they're prickly and they don't seem to go away as quickly as I thought they would when my hands rub her arms softly, kissing the top of her head.

"Remember the first time we met?" I ask her with a laugh as she nuzzles her lips against my neck, sighing out a breath. "We've known each other since we were toddlers, Kol. We met when we were babies." She states, adjusting herself against me as I lift the warm blanket over us and I smile at the memory of us as two little kids, running after each other with smiles on our faces and laughter filling our lungs.

"No, we actually met twice. Once in high school and another time during college. We lost contact between each other for a while between those years and when my family moved away. But, when I came back to go to school at The University of New Orleans. Come on, I remember your face when you scrunched up your cute little nose and asked. "Do I know you, you look really familiar for some reason..Why is that?"

I close my eyes as Elena giggles and she wraps her arms around my thin and frail waistline. "I'm going to miss you, so much. The sound of your voice, the kiss of your lips, the way our hands were perfectly made for each other..." My voice cracks as I kiss the top of her head again, inhaling her scent of rose shampoo and run my fingers through her long silky flowing brown hair.

"I wish that we could stay like this forever." I comment, hearing Elena inhale deeply against my chest when she softly adds. "I wish we could too. I wish that this wasn't our lives and that we could go back and change it all. I don't know how we're going to do this..." Her voice trails off as I feel moisten tears escape on to her cheeks and I hold her tighter into my arms, my hand stroking her back. "Elena, we don't have to do anything yet. I just want to live in the moment with you. You know, this guy that I went to school with in college always used to say that. He said that life was about moments in time. He was a smart guy, I think he even went on to move to Seattle and work with his dad as a doctor...I'm fuzzy on the details. But, I remember his words well, because he'd always say them. So, listen to me sweetheart...In this moment, we're not saying goodbye until we have too. We're going to love each other, we're going to spend as much time as we can with each other and we'll create memories. So, that when the time comes and I have to say goodbye to you. I can rest in peace, knowing that I lived out my last days with my best friend by my side."

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**Caroline's P.O.V.**

I didn't picture my life turning into this, unpacking boxes that I had packed up already in the middle of the night, drinking straight shots from a bottle of vodka and praying that I can keep my head up in the morning when I wake up and realize that I'm all alone and have to find a job or a new apartment.

I don't know what to feel. I don't know if I should miss him or if I should continue to sulk in my own misery. It's pathetic. But, so is my mysterious neighbor, the guy that lives next door to me in apartment number #347...He's crying over and shouting over some girl named Katherine, also singing along to James Morrison's greatest hits at the top of his lungs...Maybe he needs a drinking buddy just so that he can stop singing? Maybe we can both sulk and cry together over the girl named Katherine and we could burn the pictures of Tyler I have hanging up on my walls.

I can't take it anymore! His singing increases as the music does too and I'm on my last nerve tonight..If I got over there. I will not be "Miss nice and quiet neighbor" like I usually am. That is the truth, so he better turn off the music or shut up soon.

After Tyler decided to walk out, I put one of my avocado face masks on- after I wiped off the black mascara streaks on my cheeks from crying my eyes out, I decided that I needed to get drunk and pamper myself a bit. My feet are covered by my pink fluffy slippers and my hair is tied up in a loose messy bun as I grab the bottle of vodka and head out the door in my Washington State Cougars t-shirt..Someone needs to tell this guy to shut up and guess who's about to do it?

You guessed it...Yours truly!

As I pull open the door to the apartment and exhale deeply. I smile to myself when I think about what I'm about to say to this guy who's just as heartbroken as I am, Clearly...Maybe even worse. Even after living in these apartments for the last 2 years...The guy in apartment #347 is a total mystery to me. I never see him and all I ever hear coming from his apartment is music or the sound of another guy playing video games with him...Damn, their lives must be pretty interesting.

I close my eyes and lift my hand, about to knock on the door and give this guy a piece of my mind. But, just as I begin to knock, the door flings open and I'm eye to eye with my mysterious neighbor.

His green eyes are blood shot. He's wearing a perfectly fitting, dark navy blue Tommy Hilfiger business suit, a white flower in the pocket of it and he's got a bottle of the same Vodka that I have in my hands. He looks so handsome and if I wasn't nursing my broken heart over my backstabbing ex-boyfriend. I would flirt with him, not even caring that I must look like an alien with blond hair and fluffy pink slippers.

"Well...Hello there...If you've come to rob me, looking like that..You can take the vodka. All it's going to do for me is make me really shitfaced in the morning and that isn't what I need for my first day of my new job, under the iron fisted guidance of my father. I don't need a hangover. But, you look like you could use one. So, here. Drink up!" He tells me with an amused look as I take a step back and crinkle my nose, taking the vodka from his outstretched hand as he laughs, extending out his other hand, a gentle smile is on his face when he states. "I'm Stefan Salvatore...Your neighbor who likes James Morrison and who is in a suit, because I just got left at the alter on my wedding day."

I stand there, licking my lips and stopping abruptly when his words hit my ears. He just got left at the alter and he's all alone in his apartment listening to love songs that could break your heart in an instant...Huh, now it all makes perfect sense and he seems a bit drunk...Wow, his life must not be as great as I thought!

I feel the bottle that he handed me swoosh around a little as it hits my leg and he looks down at the floor at my slippers. "Nice outfit, by the way. Look, lady. I'm sorry if I disturbed you from whatever it was that you were planning for the night. I'll turn the music down."

"The music is decent. Just...The singing isn't very good." I comment, hoping that he'll find humor in my joke and when he stops to stare at me for a moment, I curse myself under my breath for being such a stupid fool with my words. Stefan smiles though, placing his hands over his chest, after a few minutes of awkward silence he states. "Well, thank god that I'm not a musician then. I'm a soon to be doctor..Well, actually it's going to be my first year of medical school in a few days, right after I sell the house that my never to be wife and I got as a gift from my family."

He takes a step back, running his hands through her brown hair when he sighs out a breath and adds. "I'm sorry for all my gibberish. Look, it's getting late and I promise that the music will be turned down. Have a good night...Miss?" Stefan pauses, placing his hand on the door as I lock my eyes on to him and tighten my grip around the bottle of booze that he gave me, attempting to hand it back to him before he closes the door on my face.

"It's Caroline. Caroline Forbes, your neighbor who is about to go sulk in her own misery because my boyfriend cheated on me. Cheers, Stefan. Have a good night." I blurt out, watching him inhale sharply as he adds. "I'm sorry about your boyfriend, Caroline. Keep the extra alcohol, you might need it."

My back is halfway turned from him as I nod and softly turn my head back towards him when I say. "Oh, I will. Thank you. See you around."

Stefan smiles at me, closing the door slowly as he concludes. "Yeah, see you around. Caroline."

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**Elena's P.O.V.**

"I want to take him back home, to Seattle. I want him to come home with me before he dies and is too weak to do so. He needs to be with your whole family too. We need to all be together." I tell them, watching Matt, Rebekah and Klaus all lift their heads up at me with stunned facial expressions on their faces, Klaus being the one to instantly object.

"As his brother, I have to say no. I'm sorry, Elena. He's getting weaker everyday, how do you possibly think he could fly back home to Seattle? His immune system is shot to hell. His blood count is low and he may need a blood transfusion and your being so damn irrational about this!" Klaus tells me, watching as I tighten my already locked jaw and lean back into my chair, staring out the window of the large flower garden outside of the hospital waiting area, getting lost in it's beauty for just a brief moment.

My voice is barely there, tears are in my eyes as I get up from my seat finally and turn to leave the room. We're all on high alert, we're all on no sleep, high strung and every one of us is barely clinging on to any hope that we'll even be able to take Kol home at all. But, I don't want to give up on him. I can't give up on him. So, that's when I suggest it, clearing my throat and watching Klaus clench his hands into fists. He's getting irritated with me, with my words and stubbornness and the fact that I'm not wanting to give up like everyone else seems to have already done.

"I want a new doctor to give us a second opinion then. I want someone to look at his case with a fresh new pair of eyes and I want them to tell me that Doctor Phillips is completely wrong about Kol's diagnosis." I'm thankful in the moment that it's just the four of us in the room because what Klaus does next, scares me and yet, makes me even more empowered to fight harder for my dying husband.

I watch his jaw flex, his back his tensed up and his eyes are deadlocked on me when he gets up and stands eye to eye with me. Klaus's breath washes over my face as I glance behind him to see Rebekah start to get up, attempting to defend me. "She has a point, Klaus..." Her voice trails off as he glares over at his sister and then turns back to give his full attention to me.

"What do you not understand about all of this? I know that you want to have hope that Kol will recover, Elena. I get that because I want to have it too. But, you didn't grow up with a brother who was in and out of hospitals his whole life because of this 'silent killer'. You didn't have to watch him get pricked and probed like a lab rat because they needed more blood or more scans. Listen to me, because I'm only going to say this once. He's dying, Elena. Kol- my brother. My best friend is dying! And, here's the sick and funny thing about it all. I want him to die, I want him to stop suffering because, over the years I've seen what it's done to him..The suffering has killed him already! It's been killing him inside and out for years. As far as I'm concerned, Kol's already dead! Sure, he seems like a cheerful person on the outside. But, my brother isn't and he's coming to terms with it. So, you should too. We all should. So, to answer your question once again. We're not getting a second opinion about this. We're just going to all be one big supportive family and do whatever Kol wants in these last few months that we have with him. We're not taking him back to Seattle to watch him die!" Klaus's voice isn't demeaning, it isn't anger filled or even riddled with hatred towards me. To be honest, Klaus's voice is broken and the way he slumps his shoulders back as he looks away from me with watery eyes, I can feel just how tired and broken up about all of this he really is. He's losing Kol too. He's losing his little brother and it kills me inside to watch it all play out like this. Because, we're all suffering such a major blow.

"I know that you want what's best for him. Because, that's what we all want. But, Kol needs to be closer to your parents before it happens. So, that we can all be together one last time. It's been years, since we've been home. Please, Klaus- Just understand where I'm coming from." I plead with him, watching Rebekah get up from her seat next to Matt as he clears his throat and Klaus turns towards them, nearly snarling out his words. "Do you two have anything else to add to this? Please, speak up if you do. Come on, say something!"

They're silent. Both of them don't say much else except for that they understand both of our sides and that the decision shouldn't be up to us. That, it should in fact be up to Kol and his doctors. Rebekah gets up as I watch Matt wrap his arm around her waistline, pulling her closer towards him and kissing her cheek.

"We should go home...Hope's with the babysitter and I just want to make sure that she's okay..." Her voice trails off as she mentions her daughter and I nod at her, wrapping my arms around my stomach and silently imaging what Kol and I had talked about just months earlier...dying inside at the thought of my empty stomach when I think about how much I had wanted that too...A daughter...

"_Rebekah and Matt are lucky, you know...They aren't married yet. But, they have such a beautiful little girl, Hope. She's cute and a sassy little three year old." I commented, pulling up the sheets of our bed up to my knees as I sat with my back against the headboard in our room, watching Kol brush his teeth in the bathroom, the door wide open when he glanced over at me with a smile._

"_We'll have sassy kids too, one day. I promise, Elena. I just..I need to get things back on track with my health and then maybe I can even go back to school..I want to provide for us and make sure that we're financially set before we have a kid. Babies are expensive, you know. Not to mention that they kind of smell.." He said with a laugh as he ducked when I threw a small pillow into the bathroom, hitting his side with it as he stepped out of the bathroom, his black t-shirt bunched up into his hands, ready to throw it at me._

"_Kol, I'm being serious. I want a baby...I want one that looks as cute as it's dad." I told him in a flat tone with a huge grin, watching as he pivoted on his heels, dropping the shaver in his hands into the foamy white, water that he had been splashing around as he shaved._

"_And, I'll give you as many kids as you want..Mrs. Elena Mikaelson, I promise that I will give you one.. Just be patient with me. We're going to have a family. We're going to live on a huge plot of land with little baby Elena's and Kol's screaming our names as we chase them around the house. We're going to be together forever, sweetie. Every thing's going to be just fine."_

His words make my heart ache now as I turn around, fisting my sweatshirt against my palms when I make my way back into his hospital room.

"I'm not giving up on you, Kol. I love you and I want you to stay with me. I don't want to beg you or tell you that you can't die on me because you already know all of that. I just...I..." My mouth stops from moving when he reaches out to me, his hands finding my waistline when he pulls me against him and he turns his face into my stomach, kissing the fabric to my shirt when I watch him wrap his arms around me tightly. His voice is hoarse and broken, he says in a soft and gut wrenching tone. "I want you to be okay when I'm gone...Promise me, that you'll be okay without me."

I exhale deeply, running my hands through his hair as I lean down and place my chin against the top of his head, staring up towards the large clock in his room. I want time to stop, I want it all to freeze so that I can stand here with him, forever.

Kol grabs a hold of my hands, kissing the top of them before he drops them away from himself, leaning back into the hospital bed as he clears his raspy voice. "Klaus came to talk to me. He said he's not angry with you about what you said. But, he just wants you to understand that-."

I swallow the lump forming in my throat as I turn around and pull up a chair so that I can sit beside Kol, intertwining our fingers together. "I know. But, I just thought that you would want to be home, Kol." I try to tell him as he gives me a weakened smile and yawns a little, glancing up at me.

"This is home, Elena. It's wherever you are with me, that is home." He tells me, watching as the tears once again fill up my eyes and I lean into him, capturing his lips against my own just for a brief moment.

"I know. Hey, I'm going to go see if Klaus is still around. I should apologize to him." I comment, pushing away from Kol as he closes his eyes and inhales sharply, noticeably struggling to get a full breath.

"Okay, you go do that. I think he might have gone to the cafeteria to call our parents and tell them about what's going on." He tells me, smiling just a little as I slowly get up, kissing the top of his head and telling him that I love him once more before I leave the room. Kol watches me with a small smile forming across his face as I stand near the door, locking his face and the smile on his lips in my memory forever when I blow him a kiss and continue to look at him.

"I love you." I tell him sincerely, placing my hand against the door before I open it and step out, smelling the scent of medicines and hearing beeping machines around me when I hear Kol softly add. "I love you too, Elena. I always will."

* * *

**Klaus's P.O.V.**

"I thought I'd find you here." She says as my body cringes at the sound of her voice. I don't hate her, I never have hated my sister in law- actually at one point while Kol and her were dating. I was the one who told my little brother that if he didn't marry her one day that he'd be a pretty big idiot.

Elena sits near me on the gray stone colored bench outside, folding her hands into her lap as we both sit in silence for a long time, watching people walk by the small rose gardens that are landscaped around the hospital.

I don't know what to say to her anymore. As far as I'm concerned I've said everything that's been on my mind in the last 48 hours. But, as she adjusts herself on the seat beside me, I can't be silent any longer.

"He's too weak to move to another hospital or to even go home and be with the family. But, there is a doctor in Seattle who could give us a second opinion, though. I've heard of him a lot while Kol was going to school...He's an older guy who's been in the medical practice since he was in his mid-twenties, about 32 years. Maybe we can have Rebekah and Matt keep watch on Kol while you and I go there to see if this doctor would be willing to come to Louisiana and give us another idea of how bad this cancer really is." I tell her, watching Elena shift her weary eyes away from the lock she has on a couple that's strolling with their baby and back to me.

"What changed your mind?" She asks me in a soft tone as I tilt my head to the side and shrug my shoulders back, giving her a small smile when I add. "He's my brother, Elena. You're not the only person in this family that will never give up on him. Because, I'll fight to make him better. I'll do anything for him and if getting a second opinion is what Kol wants. Then, he's going to get that."

She nods, staying silent when I clear my throat getting up slowly from my seat as I think about how we're going to tell Kol about our idea. Then, it hits me quickly when I shake my head. "But, you have to promise me that you can't tell Kol until after you've met with this guy." I tell her in a abrupt manner, watching her bite down on her lower lip, inhaling heavily.

"Why not?" She asks me, titling my head to the side when I finally state. "Because, we can't give him false hope to cling on to...If this doesn't work, then we have to just accept it. We have to move on and realize that we've exhausted all of our options in saving his life."

"When do we leave and for how long will we be gone?" She asks me, gazing over to see me run my hands through my hair as I look down out the ground of patchy green grass and mumble out. "In two days, we're going to be heading to Seattle in two days to see my family and that is what you and I will be telling Kol. He doesn't need to know about the truth of where we'll be. Until, everything checks out with this doctor and everyone is on board about this."

* * *

**Bonnie's P.O.V.**

Two days of working at Roseburg Medical Hospital in the heart of downtown Seattle. Did I mention, in the E.R. and under the iron fist of my new boss? Yeah well, both of these things are making me feel beaten down and exhausted. My thoughts and nose are deeply buried into my notes for the day when I hear a knock against the desk that I've been sitting at for the last hour. As I glance up, I see one of my fellow nurses, pointing towards the E.R. Department waiting room.

"There are two people out there looking specifically for Dr. Salvatore. He's the oncologist that we call in to work down here sometimes. Have you seen him?" She asks me with a smile as I shake my head. I'm trying to remember the names of all the doctors that I had been introduced to over the last few days and yet, 'Dr. Salvatore.' rings no alarms in my head.

"Nope. But, whoever he is. He must be really popular. Everyone seems to either want to talk to him or they just want a piece of him." I comment with a shrug of my shoulders and a sweet smile when she nods and pats my shoulder, leaning towards my ear as she adds. "He's really hot, maybe that's why. So, if you do see him. I'm sure you won't be able to stop staring at him."

I smile at her words as I watch her walk away from me and I resume back to working on my notes. But, my concentration is completely lost as I hear a deep voice booming from the hallway and a tall dark haired young man with a white lab coat strolls down the hall, coming directly towards me.

"You're new, aren't you? First day?" He questions as my eyes lock on to his bright blue eyes, noticing the phone in his hands as he licks his lips and smiles at me.

"Um...Second day, actually." I attempt to correct him, hearing him click his tongue to the roof of his mouth as he places his hands back into his pockets and exhales deeply, rocking back on the soles of his white pair of Nike running shoes that are covered up by his dark blue hospital scrubs, no name tag or identification to be see on his coat pockets.

"Ah, good.. You'll be with me today..Nurse?" I give him a perplexed look as he smiles at me and tells me to follow him, walking quickly in front of me as I scramble to my feet and try to explain that I was supposed to be under the guidance of another doctor in the E.R., an older guy with the same blue eyes as his.

"He's retiring soon and getting lousy at his job. So, you're with me. First duty of business is. You see those two tired looking people out there..." His voice trails off as I watch him point to a tall and very rough around the edges looking guy who is sitting next to a young woman who is holding her cell phone into the palm of her hand for dear life, her head is tilted back as her long brown hair touches the white colored wall behind them. They look drained, exhausted even and just when I open my mouth to utter a word, doctor sassy pants adds. "I want you to tell them that I'm finally available to speak with them in regards to why they flew all the way out here to see me. Send them back to my office and we'll get started."

I nod at him, straightening out my uniform before I push open the huge white colored exit door that leads out into the waiting area, glancing behind me to see that the dark haired and blue eyed doctor is walking into a room that's a few feet away on my left. "Send them in here!" He shouts over his shoulder to me as I exhale before pushing open the door and putting on my warm and welcoming nurse routine.

* * *

The young brown haired woman looks even more exhausted and depressed than I had first thought as I walk towards her and clear my throat, instantly getting their attention. "Hi there. My name's Bonnie and I'll be the nurse that's working with Dr.-" I begin to say as I realize that I never even caught the guy's name who told me to come out here and drag these poor and saddened looking people back into his office.

"Dr. Salvatore? He's the doctor who I'm hoping will be my brother's new oncologist." The tall and British speaking man states as he glances up at me and politely extends out his hand.

"I'm Klaus Mikaelson and this is Elena Mikaelson. She's my brother's wife." He explains when I shake his hand and watch them both get up. I notice the worried look on Elena's face when I tell them to follow me and we slowly make our way back into the E.R. hallway.

Most of the walk is in pure silence except for the sound of Klaus murmuring to Elena that they'll figure things out and that they hope that since the oncologist is older that he has a lot of experience with dealing in cases like his brother's. But, just as we all round the corner, that's when I hear their collective gasps when "Dr. Salvatore" steps out of his office with a warm smile on his face and his blue eyes shining as he introduces himself.

I watch from the corner of my eyes when Elena gives him a confused look as she glances over at Klaus and I hear her whisper somewhat loudly into his ear. "I thought you said he was older! He looks like he just came out of a fraternity from college. Klaus..I don't want him to be-" She starts to say as Dr. sassy- pants -Salvatore smiles at them and laughs a little, licking his lips and then finally speaking up in a cool and collective tone.

"I am be young. But, I'm very experienced. My father is the one who taught me everything he new about this profession and I know that you were supposed to be meeting with him today. However, we had a slight change of plans and you got me instead. So, with that being said. Klaus and Elena Mikaelson. I'm so sorry to keep you both waiting, my name is Dr. Damon Salvatore, I've been in Oncology for the last 4 years and I know how difficult this must be. But, let me reassure you that we'll figure it all out together and I'll help you the best that I can with your situation. Now, tell me a little about yourselves and about Kol."

* * *

**A/N:So, what did you all think? Please feel free to let me know what you thought about this first chapter or the story as a whole. Hopefully you all liked it. Because, I'm starting to really like writing this story. :) **

**-Until Next Time!- **


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N:  You guys are so good to me. :') 24 reviews and 25 followers and it's only for 2 chapters. You guys rock, thank you so much for all your feedback and love for this story. **

**Happy New Year to all you lovely people!**

**Please feel free to favorite/follow and review this story. I love hearing your thoughts on it. **

**Enjoy & Thank you SO MUCH for reading! **

* * *

**Crash Into Me- Chapter Two **

**Damon's P.O.V.**

Hearing her talk about the man she loves breaks my heart into a million little pieces. Because, I know how hard it is for her. I know how hard it is to watch the person you love slip away from you and there nothing that you can even do about. I had been in love once, had watched the woman that I adored and would have given everything to stay beside, being whisked away from me by an ambulance, only to die in my arms a few hours later.

Elena wipes her eyes as she bunches up the white damp tissue into the palm of her hand and she leans back into the crème colored chairs in my office, inhaling sharply before she adds. "And, that's why we're here. Because, he's the love of my life and I would give it all up just to keep him beside me. So, please Dr. Salvatore...I need this second opinion. I need to have something to hold on to because the only thing I have right now is the promise of my husband, that he won't die on me just yet."

I clear my throat, watching the nurse named Bonnie that I had forcefully assigned on to this case with me cross her arms over her chest and lean back against the wall, wiping away tears in her own eyes after she heard Elena tell us both a little bit more about her husband, Kol.

"Mrs. Mikaelson, I know what your going through and I won't lie to you. Your husband's case would need to be very closely examined and looked at. But, when a doctor states that the cancer is terminal and that is had returned with even more aggressiveness than before. It's hard to say that the chances will be what you want them to be." I tell her. She stares over at Klaus and nods her head, softly telling me that she doesn't really care. That her being in my office and going behind her husband's back is selfish. But, if it keeps him alive for just a little longer then, at least she's doing something to help him.

"It's selfish of me. I know. But, have you ever been in love. Dr. Salvatore? Have you ever known what your body and mind do in response to thinking about not being with that person for the rest of your life?" She questions as I glance up at her and then quickly look over at Bonnie who suddenly looks uncomfortable by Elena's questions.

I nod. "Yes, I have. She was my wife. But, she died in a car accident while on her way to pick me up from work...I blame myself for it everyday. When they rushed her to this very hospital and into this emergency department. I fell apart when I realized that she was who they were trying to bring back to life on the operating table. Look, I can only do and say so much to both of you. I won't make any promises or any guarantees. But, I'll get a team together and we'll try our best to figure out a way to help him prolong his life- if it's possible. However, the rest of the fighting against this disease will be up to Kol."

"So, would any of you be coming to Louisiana to meet my brother?" Klaus asks me as I shake my head, no.

" Not quiet yet. For now, we'll set up conference calls and take over his case from Dr. Phillips. So, I will keep in touch and have his oncology doctors send over all of his files and paperwork as well. Also, since you both said that he's had some procedures done here, I'll look into that too. Like I had said, I can't make any promises. But, we can try to give him a better quality of life for a little bit longer, just so that he isn't suffering. Because, you both need to remember that how long Kol Mikealson lives has nothing to do with us, it's up to him and his body."

Elena pauses, looking down at her shaking hands as she places a strand of her straight brown hair behind her ears and inhales deeply, securing her eyes on to me when she asks. "So, your telling me that what I'm trying to do- fight for my husbands life- isn't possible?"

I don't want to tell her that it's not. I don't want to dash her hopes and dreams that he'll survive longer than his prognosis. But, I can't stop thinking that his case is hopeless...I know, it's horrible to think like that- especially as a doctor. However, it will most likely be the truth.

"I'm not saying that. I'm saying that we can only do so much for him, Elena. Look, My team and I will try our best. But, like I said- I can't make any promises." I reply back to her, watching her face fall as she suddenly gets up and leaves the room, her hands shaking when Klaus excuses himself and follows her outside and into the hallway.

"You could have at least given her some hope, you know..Had her believe that you could help her and her husband. You just pretty much told that lady that her husband is a lost cause and that it's better that he's dead." Bonnie utters out, standing her ground as I shake my head and nearly slam my hands against the desk.

"What do you suggest? For me to give her hope that I know her husband doesn't have?" I ask her, watching her take a step near my desk, placing both of her hands on each side of the wood, leaning forward when she leans towards me and hisses out. "Anything, give her anything that gives her hope. Because, that's clearly what she needs. You're a jerk and you have a horrible bedside manner, how did you even become a doctor?" She asks me, pushing back and shaking her head as I lean back into my chair, glancing down at the picture of my dead wife, the only one of Rose that I still keep with me, on my desk. The only reminder I have of her that keeps me pushing forward in trying to save others.

"I became a doctor because it's in my family. My father is a doctor and my little brother is following in my footsteps. As far as my bedside manner, I'm an honest person and I tell the truth- even if my patients or their families don't want to hear it!" I comment to Bonnie in a harsh tone as she huffs out a breath and pivots on her heels, glaring at me over her shoulder before leaving the room when she adds. "You need to work on it. You need to work on being a nicer person. And, I really don't know what could cause you to change. But, whatever it is..I really hope that it happens soon."

* * *

**Bonnie's P.O.V.**

I'm so pissed off at how Damon Salvatore reacted towards these two poor people that I find myself comforting the young woman named Elena outside of the waiting room. She's quiet and alone when I approach her, looking out towards a bunch of old evergreen trees and a small chapel.

"I used to pray that he'd get better. Every night, I'd sit down or I'd lay down beside him in bed and I'd tell God that I would give everything up just to make him better. So, that I didn't have to be here right now. I don't know what to do, anymore...I...I'm scared." She tells me in a saddened tone as I lean forward, placing my hand over hers softly, looking out towards the same chapel with it's large brown doors and colored glass windows.

"I know that you are. But, you'll be okay. Your husband sounds like an amazing person and I'm pretty sure that he'll fight to stay with you for as long as he can. And, we're going to try everything that we can to help him. I promise." I tell her, not really thinking twice about my words as she glances up at me with a small smile appearing on her face.

"Do you ever go there?" She asks softly, looking over at the chapel in the distance that's just across the parking lot from us.

"No, I haven't. But, I know a lot of the doctors do sometimes when they're having a tough day or have lost a patient. It's a place that's available to anyone." I reply to her as she nods and I watch when she slowly gets up, dusting herself off and grabbing her dark red colored purse when she glances over at me and states. "Thank you, for understanding..I'm just going to go for a little walk, get some fresh air and stuff..."

I smile at her, getting up myself and clearing my throat when I lock my eyes on to her. "You're welcome. Look, just- don't lose hope." I tell her as she smiles once more and proceeds to walk away from me. I walk back into the hospital, passing by her brother in law Klaus on my way back inside, catching his gaze and his questions that lingers in the air.

"Where's she going?" He asks me. His eyes are tired and his face is stone cold. He's leaning against the wall with his hands deep into his pockets, staring out through the window when I approach him.

"She just needs some time alone. Look, I promised her that we'll try our best to save your brothers life or to at least help him live just a little longer." Klaus blinks at me, his eyes are cold and distance when he tilts his head to the side.

"All you nurses and doctors always say the same shit! That you promise that you'll make our sick loved ones better. But, let me tell you something, Miss Bennett. You're all liars! Every one of you and if it wasn't for that broken hearted woman outside who I can't watch cry anymore over my brother. I wouldn't be here. I would have accepted the fact that he's dying and just let us all be at peace with it over time. However, I'm not doing this for me..I'm doing it for her. Because, she loves him and she's afraid that once he's gone that she'll never find anyone else like my brother." Klaus tells me in a slightly angered tone as I nod my head and just when I step back to walk away from him, I feel my body hit back against a warm and tall person, his hands are on my arms when he leans into me.

"You promised her that we would fix her husband! What in the hell is wrong with you. We never make promises to patients families that we as medical professionals can't keep!" He tells me in a snarling tone as I feel my body tense when I turn around, tears welling up into my eyes when I inhale sharply, attempting to keep them at bay.

"I didn't know what else to say. I was giving her some hope, unlike what you were doing." I tell him simply as he shakes his head and pinches the bridge of his nose.

"Listen to me, Nurse Bennett. You just did the one thing that I have been trying to avoid. So, if everything comes crashing down and this man dies in less than 6 months. It's on you. Not me!" Damon tells me, stepping backwards and shaking his head when he adds with a sigh. "You have a lot to learn, Bonnie and I really hope that you learn it all soon. Because, you don't- you'll be in a world of hurt because of it."

* * *

**Stefan's P.O.V.**

"_We'll have it all one day and soon- We'll have the life that I always wanted to give you." I had told her that night, watching as she glanced out the window at the light snow falling outside of our hotel room and down on to the trees below, melting once the flakes hit the leaves._

"_I love you, you know. I do. But, I'm scared of this, of sharing our lives together. Stefan, I can't marry you. I can't be your wife." Katherine said, tears in her eyes as she outstretched her hand and took my shaking fingers into her palm, handing me back the engagement ring and our wedding rings that we were set to exchange that night._

"_Don't do this, Katherine. Don't walk out on me. I love you...I love you! Isn't that enough?" She shook her head, barely glancing at me as she stated. "I'm not the one you're supposed to be with, Stefan. I want things that you don't want out of life right now. I can't be the person that I thought I could be for you. I'm sorry. I can't marry you, Stefan."_

_It was like being shot in the stomach and felt like I was bleeding out all over the floor as she brushed past me, kissing my cheek before she whispered a soft "Goodbye" and "I'm sorry" to me as she walked out of my life without another word._

That's how I had ended up on the steps, back at the ceremony and venue for the reception hall, full of our friends and family, having to tell them all that Katherine had decided that it was in her own best interest that I didn't become her husband and that she was calling off the wedding. It was the worst night of my life. However, these last two days have dulled the pain of watching her walk out on me just a little bit because I've thrown myself into my studies and my job shadows with my father, who insisted that I see first hand at what I'm going to be getting myself into once I start my residency after medical school is completed.

"Stefan, one day- you and Damon will be very well known around here." He states proudly as he walks with such confidence and composure through the halls of Roseburg Medical Hospital, smiling at nearly everyone he encounters.

"Dad, I don't think that-" I begin to say as he glances up at me abruptly from the stack of charts he has in his hands.

"Don't say that you don't want to follow in my footsteps and become a doctor in this very hospital. Because, son- if you don't. We'll gladly stop funding your education and you can go get yourself a nice little 9-5 job someplace that won't be as exhilarating as saving someone's life or working in the medical field. Stefan, your mother and I really do believe that you'll become something one day. You just need to believe in it too." He tells me with a slight shrug of his shoulders as I hear his cell phone go off and he hands me the stack of 7 charts in his arms, telling me to hold on to those as he answers the phone.

"This is Dr. Salvatore speaking. Yes, aha...Yes...I will. Right away. Thank you." I watch as my dad hangs up the phone and he shakes his head, exhaling as if he's irritated about something.

"It's your brother. He screwed up once again and I have to be the one to fix it. Listen, sorry to cut our tour of the hospital short today, But, I'm sure you have more studying to do. So, why don't I just call you once I get done cleaning up Damon's mess." He tilts his head to the side, a mixture of gray hairs and light brown on top of his head sway a bit with him as I nod and pivot on my heels, telling him that he's right and that I should be preparing myself for my long education ahead.

"I guess I'll see you around then." I comment, watching my dad smile as he waves at me and nearly speed walks down the hall to the elevators, heading to the E.R. Department when he shouts. "See you later, son!"

* * *

I'm too lost in my thoughts, too wound up about Katherine and the life we could have had together to even really pay much attention to all the people that are coming and going out of the busy hospital cafeteria. I don't even know why I had told my dad at such a young age that I wanted to be a Doctor and follow in his and Damon's footsteps. Because, to be perfectly honest- I don't want that to be my life anymore. It's his dream, not mine...I haven't wanted to be a doctor for a while now and the more I think about going to medical school and working in the same hospital as my brother and my dad, I get a little sick to my stomach. So, tell me this..How do you tell your family of successful doctors that you don't want to be just like them?

My head phones are in as The Fray's song "Never Say Never" blares from my ear buds and I flip the page on one of my textbooks, trying to memorize the words that are highlighted inside of it. And contemplating the right words to tell my dad that I don't want to do this, that I want to be a paramedic instead. My tired mind is on over drive and I don't really notice anything around me until I feel the hot scolding coffee hit my arm and the brown colored liquid splashes against my Anatomy and Physiology book.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry..I- I am so sorry!" She repeats as I watch her hand wiping away the excess liquid that's all over the table. However, when my eyes finally glance up to see who's frantic voice is apologizing to me. I'm hypnotized by her.

"Katherine?" I ask her as gives me a confused look and begins to back away from me, embarrassment clearly on her face when she places her long brown hair behind her ears, and begins to back away from the table that she just bumped into.

She tilts her head to the side as I clear my throat, getting up and feeling the warm liquid slip down against my wet pants. "It's fine. I'm sorry too. You just look like someone I know. I'm sorry, I thought you were her." I try to tell her, watching her nod and she looks down at my books that have partially soaked up the coffee that she spilled on to me and the table around us.

"It's okay, I'm sorry for being such a klutz. I wasn't paying attention." She tells me, not even looking at me as I watch her bunch up the napkins in her hands and the coffee that was soaked up by them drips down on to her black and white converse shoes.

"It's fine. Why don't I buy you another coffee to replace the one that I'm wearing?" I ask her in a joking manner. She smiles at me a little. Yet, there's something about her that I can't quite place and the fact that her eyes look hollow and sad, like she's checked out of being happy, a long time ago make me even more intrigued by her.

"It's okay. It was my mistake. I should be the one buying you a coffee or something." She tells me, placing her hands in front of her chest as she exhales and I glance down at her fingers, noticing the clearly expensive 18 kart diamond ring on her left hand.

"Is your husband a patient here?" I ask her suddenly, watching as she licks her lips and keeps looking behind her, as if she's waiting for someone or something to show up, like she's avoiding my question. She shakes her head, finally looking up at me and then I see it, the hurt in her brown eyes when I mention her spouse. A man that she clearly loves.

"Not yet. But, I grew up in this area when I was a little girl and so did he. Although, we both went to college in Louisiana together. We had been planning on moving back here after we got married. But, our plans changed." Her voice is low and quiet when she finishes talking about her life. I don't know what it is. But, I want to know more about her and I feel like if I don't know more, that I'll miss out on getting to know this woman who just looks purely broken down by life.

"So, you've lived here before?" I ask her, watching as she nods and grabs the seat across from me, taking a seat hesitantly into the chair.

"Yeah, my husband and I grew up in the same neighborhood. We went to the same schools and then he moved away. Until, I found out from his sister that he was going to school in Louisiana and that his family had moved there. So, I applied for a transfer and as fate would have it. I ended up having a class with him- which caused us both to grow closer." She admits with a shy smile as I nod my head and look around the cafeteria, watching it begin to flow with more people and hospital staff coming in and out of the area.

I tilt my head to the side, smiling when I talk. "It's funny because my brother actually went to school in New Orleans. He went to the University of New Orleans before he came back here to go to medical school. Maybe your husband and my brother, know each other." I comment in a nonchalant tone as

her brown eyes widen when she shakes her head in disbelief and then I watch as she shrugs her shoulders back leaning into her chair when she asks in a soft tone. "Oh wow. You never know, maybe they do. What's your brother's name?"

I smile, proudly like not every younger brother probably would. But, I'm proud of what Damon's accomplished and then I finally reply back in a gleeful tone. "Damon Salvatore. He's a doctor at this hospital."

* * *

**Elena's P.O.V.**

It's like the whole room spins around me as I close my eyes and remember Kol's words from earlier this week. "_You know, this guy that I went to school with in college always used to say that. He said that life was about moments in time. He was a smart guy, I think he even went on to move to Seattle and work with his dad as a doctor...I'm fuzzy on the details."_

And that's when it hits me- hard. The memory flashing in front of my eyes like a movie as I close them and inhale sharply, sending myself right back into the moment with Kol and Damon...

"_Elena! Sweetheart, come over here! I want to introduce you to the man who's going to be the next genius of our generation!" Kol said with a slightly slurred tone as wrapped his arms around a young guy who had pitch black hair and dark blue eyes, a smirk forming across his face that made my stomach tighten a little._

"_Damon Salvatore! I want you to meet my girlfriend, Elena Gilbert." He had said, his hand pulling me around so that I was facing Damon fully. _

"_Well, well. You're the girl that Kol never seems to stop talking about. You must be a special one." Damon had commented, extending out his hand and shaking my outstretched one as I watched him glance up at Kol when he added. "Make sure to keep her close, Kol. Because, I'm pretty sure that the two of you will make each other very happy one day. Because, if you don't- I'm sure there are a million other guys that would line up to make her happy and theirs."_

"_Oh, I will. I can promise you that!" Kol shouted over his shoulder as Damon stepped away from us with a smile, walking over to a group of girls and wrapping his arms around a pretty young woman with a short dark brown haircut that had streaks of blond high lights. _

"_Damon, sweetie where have you been?" We overheard her ask as she leaned into him and kissed his lips softly, wrapping her arms around him. He swayed them back and forth to the music for a little while when he added. "I'm here now. It's okay, Rose. I'm here, babe."_

"Your brother's my husbands new oncologist. At least, we're trying to make him be." I tell him as I watch his green eyes shift and just as he opens his mouth, his cell phone goes off.

"Speaking of my brother. Look, it was nice chatting with you and here's some money to buy yourself a coffee- it's on me. But, I have to go." He tells me, getting up briskly from his seat and handing me a $10 dollar bill as I watch him pick up his books and he smiles at me, placing his hand over mine just for a brief moment when he says. "You won't be sad forever. I can tell that your a strong person. Just never lose hope that everything will be okay."

I open my mouth to reply back to his kind words, feeling when his hand moves away from my touch. Because, I want to tell him thank you, I want know his name and ask him more about his brother. But, just as quickly as he placed his hand on to mine and smiled, he leaves the table without a trace and I'm left with his words echoing into my mind. _"Never lose hope...Everything will be okay..."_

* * *

**Caroline's P.O.V.**

Not having any money is probably the worst thing in the world and so that's why I'm taking the chance in selling my left over paintings from my showcases that I had tried to do while I was with Tyler. But, I had never really gotten noticed by anyone for them or any real money at all.

My heart is pounding with excitement as I stand in the warmth of the sun beating down on me at Pike Place Market in the middle of the city and watch all the different people walk by me. Some of them holding hands, others are talking on their cell phones and not really paying any attention to me or my art work. But, I pause when I notice him.

He's tall, European looking with blond hair. He's got his hands in his jean pockets and a look of pure exhaustion and worry on his face as I hear him say. "I needed to get out of the damn hospital, Rebekah! I'm just walking around it in circles and praying that these damn doctors know what they're talking about. Look, I left Elena there for a bit. I just..I needed a break from her too. So, I took a stroll into the city."

I'm taken away by him, by the way he looks so lost in this sea of people that are walking past him and yet, he still seems like knows where he's going, like he's been here before. I sit back into my chair, watching him slowly make his way towards my art work and then he stops, telling the girl named Rebekah that he has to go and that he'll call her later with an update.

"How much for this piece?" He asks with a light and curious British accent, a smile on his face as I slide off my chair and walk over to him, crossing my arms over my dark red shirt, glancing down at the oil painting of a woman staring outside of a large window, out into a field of poppy flowers, the sun light hitting her face perfectly in the painting.

"Umm...$20 dollars." I quickly remark, hearing him laugh as he shrugs his shoulders back and glances up at me, locking his blue eyes on to mine.

"Did you draw this..Did you draw all of these?" He asks me with a hint of interest in his tone as I watch him place his hand into his pocket and he pulls out his phone, flipping through his contacts when he looks back up at me as I reply. "Yeah..I drew them all."

He nods, exhaling deeply and after a few minutes he states. "$20 is too cheap for paintings like these to be sold at a market in downtown Seattle. You should consider selling them at an art gallery. Look, how about I take them all these 8 paintings from you for $1,000 dollars. I'll take them off your hands. Besides, a girl like you could clearly make a lot more money off of them if they were being sold in the right location and by the right person."

"Right location and the right person?" I ask him, tilting my head to the side, my long blond curly tickling my neck when I uncross my arms and smile at him. He shrugs his shoulders back, pops his neck to the side and places his hand back into his pockets again. I watch him take out a card, leaning forward and handing it to me.

"You don't need to make your decision right now. But, I know a few people who would love to have some of the paintings you've clearly spent time on. So, here..Whenever you make a choice. Call me, my name is on the back of the card." He informs me as he hands me the card and pivots on his heels, dialing a number on his cell phone again as I watch him walk away without another word.

The card in my hand is digging into my palms and when I glance down at it after he leaves. I smile as I read the words across the card out loud and watch the guy who handed me the card, disappear back into the crowd of people at the market. "Klaus Mikaelson Gallery. Owner and art dealer. New Orleans, Louisiana."

I can't stop smiling as I close my eyes and pull out my cell phone, quickly dialing the number on the back of the card as my heart begins to pound against my chest when he answers. "This is Klaus Mikaelson. Hello?"

"Umm..Hi. This is Caroline Forbes. The girl at Pike's place market that you offered to buy the paintings from. I, um..I just wanted to say that I'll think about your offer and I'll let you know." I tell him as I hear him let out a small chuckle and he adds. "Alright, love. You do that, Caroline. I look forward to hearing from you."

* * *

**A/N: I have to say that the Caroline and Klaus meeting is probably my favorite meeting so far in this story. :') Also, I loved the little moment between Stefan and Elena. Oh and Bonnie and Damon...Something tells me that those two are going to be interacting a lot more soon! :) **

**Follow me on Twitter for updates at:Be_Passionate24**

**-Until Next Time!- **


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: Just want to say thank you to all of you who have reviewed,Favorited and who are following this story! It truly means a lot to me. Anyways, without further delay..here's the long awaited CH.3. **

**Follow me on Twitter at: Be_Passionate24 for updates or just to chat about my stories. Tweet me your thoughts! :) **

**Enjoy & seriously, thank you all so much for reading! **

**P.S. TISSUES WILL BE NEEDED FOR THIS CHAPTER! **

* * *

**Crash Into Me-Chapter Three**

**Kol's P.O.V.**

_I watch her arms rise above her head as she kicks off her high heels and jumps up on to the bar's table top. The small college town bar that we're in is full of people, rowdy drunks and young guys whistling at her as she smiles and waves over to me when she suddenly bursts into the chorus of "Hello Lover" with Rebekah by her side. I stand there, leaning against the wall of the small tavern as I continue listening to the two of them signing. "Hello baby..Don't ya miss me? Hello lover, come and get me!" Both of them laughing together, leaning against each other and dancing as they lean into the crowd and continue to sing. _

"_Is that who I think it is?" Klaus asks, me smiling from ear to ear as I let out a laugh and turn towards my brother._

"_Yeah. It is and she wanted to go out. So, here we are." I tell him, watching as he laughs and pulls up a chair at an empty table._

"_Well, how about we just sit here until those two get done living out their American Idol dreams. Shall we?" He asks me, nudging my shoulder when I smile and sit across from him, exhaling with relief when we both realize that the song is done._

"_I want to marry her, Klaus." I suddenly blurt out, my hand slipping into my pocket as it runs over the soft and velor feeling box in my hand, the ring that had been my grandmothers safely tucked away inside of it until I find the right moment to ask her. _

"_You're serious? Tonight?" He asks me as if I'm unaware of unsure of the choice I want to make._

"_I'm sure, Klaus. She's everything to me and I don't want to waste one more minute calling her my girlfriend. Elena Gilbert has been my friend, a woman that I could pour my heart out to, my girlfriend and now- I'm ready to make her more than that. I'm ready to make her my fiance, eventually my wife."_

"_You do what you think is best, little brother. If marrying Elena is what you want. Then, I'll support you. I'll support both of you." Klaus tells me, smiling at me and then nodding over towards Elena as he laughs and says. "She knows how to have a good time. She'll be a perfect addition to the family. Rebekah already loves her. And, you know that she's a hard person to win over. So, Elena will be just fine with us." _

The memory of that night fades as a light knock on the door jolts me out of my memories and Elena walks into the room, her hands holding a green colored blanket. "I thought you might be cold. I just wanted to bring this up." Her eyes have darkened a little since her and Klaus returned from Seattle around 3 weeks ago. Something about the way she acts around me, makes my stomach flip and I can't take it any longer. I can't have her walking around me on eggshells, like we're strangers. When in reality, she's the only woman that I have ever l loved, the only person in my life that I don't keep any secrets from- usually.

"What happened at my parents house? You've barely said anything about it since we got back home these last few days from the hospital." I comment, trying to get up from the bed in our bedroom. After last weeks rounds of pills and procedures that won't change my fate at all. I told the staff that had my 'best intrest at heart' that I didn't want to do anymore of them, that I've decided to live out the remainder of my days at home with my family. Although, I've left out that small little detail in our discussions these last few days because I don't want to worry her more than she already has been worried about me.

"Nothing happened, Kol. It's not that important, alright. You're home now and let's just focus on that. Can we just, focus on that?" Elena asks me, her eyes shifting down to her trembling hands as she exhales and pauses when I reach out to touch her wrist, pulling her on to the bed with me.

"Don't tell me that it's nothing. Because, it is. I can see it in your face, Elena. I love you, okay? I love you so much and I don't want to spend the next few months on eggshells. That's not what our relationship is like. Honey, I need you to trust me." I tell her, wrapping my arms around her and kissing the top of her head, leaning us back against the bed as she suddenly glances up at me, getting up from her spot against my chest when she nods and smiles at me.

"Fine. I'll trust you. You get some sleep. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. I have it all planned out. Just the two of us, spending some time together." She tells me, kissing my lips softly as I pull her closer towards me, deepening the kiss.

"Kol…I need to go get some stuff done." She elaborates, pulling away from me and placing both of her hands on to my cheeks as she adds in a sure tone. "I love you so much. I'll be back up here soon to join you." Elena adds, smiling at me and blowing me a kiss before stepping out of the bedroom without another word.

* * *

**Matt's P.O.V. **

I watch her move through the kitchen with angry in her reflexes as she stammers out. "I don't get it! Damn it, he's given up! He's giving up on everything, I can see it in his face. He doesn't need to tell me. Because, I can see it!" Elena shouts, slamming her fists against the counter tops in the kitchen of the house that her and Kol share.

"Elena, we've had four doctors confirm that he's terminal. What else are we supposed to believe." I tell her, watching her gaze flare with a pure hatred at my words.

"Let him die? Are you serious right now? Why is it that I feel like none of you are on my side? That none of you believe that there might be some new drug or procedure that could keep him alive longer. All I want is to save him, Matt! I want to keep him alive, I don't want him to die..What about that don't you understand?" She yells, stepping out into the kitchen and towards me as I look outside at their porch, watching Rebekah and Hope walking the garden, both of them smiling as the warm lowering sun hits on their faces.

"I get it, Elena. I'd do the same if I was in your position. But, you need to realize that even if you help him extend out his life that Kol's going to be suffering still. He doesn't want this, Elena. You need to look at him for his perspective too." I comment, hearing the door upstairs open, a loud hacking noise booming as we both gaze over to see Kol standing at the top of the stairs when he shifts his eyes to Elena and states. "He's right. I don't want this anymore, Elena. That's why I've decided that I'm not going back to the hospital anymore. I want to die in peace, with you and my family by my side. I just want to live the rest of the time I have left out with you."

* * *

**Elena's P.O.V. **

"What?" I ask him, my voice breaking as I step away from Matt and walk up the stairs slowly towards Kol, stopping halfway up them.

"I've spent months in that damn hospital. I don't want to go back. Please, understand that. I don't want to go back there anymore. I just, I want to be with you. I want to stay here with you until-." My angered tone and stubbornness for trying to save his life interfere with my thinking when I scoff at his words and pivot on my heels, turning my back away from him. "Until you're dead. Fine, I get it. Do whatever you want, Kol! It's your life that you're not fighting for anymore, not mine. So, do whatever you want. Just remembered that you promised me once that you wouldn't give up." I comment, rushing down the stairs and out the front door, slamming it shut behind me as I nearly run into Rebekah, tears running down my cheeks as I look over at her and the little blonde and blue eyed little girl in her arms, her daughter.

"Elena…" She tries to say when I feel the cool feeling of my car keys in my hand and I look over at her, wiping away my tears as I ask. "Do you want to go on a drive with me?"

Rebekah adjusts Hope against her hip, kissing the little girls face and nodding at me as she states. "Let me go hand Hope over to Matt and I'll be back in a minute. I don't want you driving around town alone like this. I'll drive, anywhere you want to go."

I lean against the dark blue Ford Explorer, exhaling deeply as Rebekah's words echo through my head and I remember the first time that Kol had told me those exact words, promising me the world and a future together.

"_Pick a place, anywhere and I'll take you." He had said, smiling at me with wide eyes and a smile that melted my heart with just one look in my direction. _

"_Well, I've always wanted to go to Europe." I told him,rolling over on my back as he pulled me towards him, kissing my cheeks and lips softly. _

"_I love you, Elena Gilbert. And, I'll take you there. I promise. We can spend a whole month there together. Just the two of us." He had said, smiling widely and adjusting himself as he pulled out a small box from his jean pockets. _

_I watched him get up, kissing my hands and my face once more as I leaned against my elbows in the hotel room, on the bed and tilted my head to the side. "What are you doing Kol?" I asked him, trying my best not to giggle at the heat I felt radiating off my intoxicated body. _

"_I'm doing what I should have done a long time ago…." His voice trailed off, the smile on his face was the biggest that I had ever seen and then he cleared his throat and asked. "I'm asking you to marry me, Elena. I'm asking you to spend the rest of your life with me. In sickness and in health. Taking the good and the bad together and facing it by each other's side." _

_I could feel my eyes widening, my body sitting up straight like a blast of lightning had just hit me as I locked my eyes on to him and asked. "Are you serious?" _

_Kol nodded, taking my hands into his own and kissing my fingers before he said. "I'm serious. I'm asking you to marry me and be by my side forever. All you have to do is say yes."_

"Ready to go?" Rebekah's question pulls me out of the memory of that night with her brother as I sniffle back my tears. "Yeah."

I inhale sharply, getting into the passenger side as Rebekah takes the wheel and starts the car, glancing over at me for a long moment. I feel her hand run over mine, softly touching my skin and my wedding ring when she asks. "Where do you want to go, Elena?"

I swallow hard, shrugging my shoulders and simply stating. "Anywhere. You can pick the place."

She watches me nod, putting the car in reverse as she smiles and says. "I know just the place. It's not too far from here. It's peaceful and it's something we both could use."

* * *

**Rebekah's P.O.V. **

We drive in silence because I'm not really sure what to say to her- my best friend and my sister in law. I don't want to upset her more than she already is by bringing up my brother. So, as Elena fumbles through the radio station's and finally sits back into her seat after finding a song that we can both listen to without cringing because of it, she says. "I never thought that I'd be in the position with him….Losing him without being able to save him."

Elena's voice breaks as I turn down a small dirt path, exhaling deeply before I reply. "I know. I never thought that we'd be going through this either."

The car goes silent for a long moment before I ask. "Elena, why did you and Klaus really go to Seattle?" I watch her head snap up instantly at the mention of our hometown and Klaus's name.

"To visit the family. I thought we told you that." She tries to say as I watch her look out the window and she gasps, looking out the car window with total amazement at the view, the lake that Kol used to take her to whenever they wanted a moment alone to themselves. The same lake where my brother had told Klaus and I that his cancer had returned.

"You're lying to me. Because, when I called, Klaus while you two were there. He said that you both were at a hospital in the city. What were you doing there?" I ask her, watching as she shifts in her seat, telling me to stop the car. Elena jumps out before even replying to my words. I park the car and pull the keys out, following her out towards the docks glances up to see the sun going down over Lake Pontchartrain, the orangish blue sky overpowering the view as we both hear the water crash against the banisters of the docks, the sky casting a shadow of orange and blue on the dark looking water.

"Elena, please. Tell me. Why were at that hospital?" I ask her, hearing her huff out a breath, lifting her hands above her head when she turns towards me, eyes glazed over with tears when she shouts. "I was trying to save your brothers life, Rebekah! I was meeting with a cardiologist there and now, I've realized that it's all for nothing. Because, Kol's going to die weather I fight for him or not. He's going to leave me and I'm going to be all alone. I don't want to be alone...I don't want to be without your brother. He's the only person that I've loved, since I was teenager." She begins to cry as I move slowly towards her, inhaling sharply when I glance down at the moistened grass that's causing my feet to be wet.

"You're not going to be alone, Elena. I promise you that. I promise you that I'll fight for him too. He's my brother, I love him as much as you do. And, I don't want to see him give up without a fight. But, I promise you that you won't be alone, no matter what happens. You'll have me, Matt, Klaus and Hope by your side. I'm already losing my brother. I don't want to lose you too. So, please...Just because he wants to give up. It doesn't mean that we can't keep fighting to change his mind." I tell her in between strangled sobs as I embrace my sister in law, both of us clutching on to each other as we stand near the water and listen to the hypnotic sound of the crashing waves, a break in between them makes my heart saddened as I sniffle back my tears and back away from Elena, staring into her eyes when I vow. "I promise you that even if Kol doesn't make it. I'm not going to stop being your family, Elena. I'm not going to abandon you. I'll help you in any way that I can. We'll learn to heal from all of this together. We'll learn to be okay as a family."

* * *

**Klaus's P.O.V. **

"Where is everyone?" I ask Matt, watching him rock Hope in his lap as she smiles up at me and waves, her blue eyes shining when she utters out. "Uncle Klaus."

"Hi, sweetheart." I comment, leaning towards her and kissing her rosy cheeks as I sit down across from my brother in law and point towards the staircase.

"Is Kol asleep?" I ask Matt as he inhales sharply and states. "He and Elena got into a little bit of a spat. He went upstairs to sleep. I went outside with Hope for a bit when he told me he was going to go back to bed. But, he might be awake now." He tells me, adding that I should go upstairs and ask my little brother about the details of the fight between him and his wife and make sure that he's okay.

"Fine, I'll go check up on him. But, when did they leave?" I ask Matt, watching as he glances up at me and adds. "A few hours ago. Elena was pretty pissed off and they said stuff that I'm sure they'll both regret in the morning."

I pinch the back of my neck, smoothing down the hair with my fingers as I shake my head and get up from my seat, telling Matt that I'll be right back.

"I'm sure everything will be just fine, between them, Klaus. You know them. They fight and they make up pretty quickly. " He tells me with a nod as I sigh out a breath, making my way up the stairs and into Kol and Elena's bedroom, determined to find out what exactly happened.

* * *

I don't know what it is. But, I can sense it almost instantly when I open the door to their bedroom, noticing that he's not in bed. Instead the sound of rushing water overflowing from the bathtub hits me in the stomach as my white socks get soaked from the overflowing water that's seeping into the bedroom. My hand goes to reach for the door. I feel like all of my movements are in slow motion, like it's one of those horror movies and I'm living it.

My heart is pounding rapidly inside of my chest, my head is spinning and I feel sick when I end up knocking down the door and standing in near the door frame, holding myself against it when I get a picture of what's happening in the foggy bathroom.

"Kol?" I shout out, hoping that he answers me. But, when he doesn't, my stomach flips inside out and I'm frantic, like a ravaged animal, searching for my little brother and praying that he just replies with a soft word back.

"Kol!" I shout once more, looking around the room as the steam begins to lift and that's when I notice him. His head tilted back against the porcelain tub, his limp body slipping into the hot warm water. My arms go to reach for him, pulling his thin and fragile body against my own. My whole body is shaking, my clothing is soaked and my eyes are glazed over with tears as I lay my brother down on to the tiles of his bathroom, feeling for a pulse as I get up, shutting the water off and shouting downstairs with a frantic plea. "Matt! Call an ambulance! Call them right now, hurry up!"

I'm shaking when my hands hover of my brothers lifeless body and I attempt to perform CPR on him, watching his lungs fill with air and then that's when I feel it, the grip of death around me and it's like everything freezes around me as I hear Matt run up the stairs, running into the room with the cell phone in his hands as he says in a tone that sounds foreign to my ears. "I need an ambulance! I need one-." He starts to say in a panic as he watches me lift my hands away from Kol, getting up and leaning against him instead, latching on to his shoulders and crying into him with a strangled voice I sob as I shout out. " Stop it! It's too late, Matt! I'm too late. I didn't save him! We failed. We couldn't save him…. He's gone, Matt...Kol's dead.."

* * *

**A/N: Anyone else crying? **

**Please let me know what your thoughts are on this story. I LOVE hearing my readers thoughts. So, comment away. **

**And don't forget to add this story to your favorites or follow it if you like it! **

**-Until Next Time!-**


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey all! I just wanted to say thank you guys so much for everyone who has liked, reviewed and is following this story. It really means a lot to me that so many of you like this story of mine. **

**Also, I've been trying to find someone who would have the time and would want to make a fanfiction trailer for this story. Out of curiosity, do any of you lovely readers know someone who makes AU fanfiction trailers on youtube and who might want/ have time to make a trailer for this story? **

**If so please tweet me on twitter at: Be_Passionate24 or Private message me on here! :) **

**Thanks & Enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

**Crash Into Me-Chapter Four**

**Elena's P.O.V.**

Death can cripple your soul. It can change you in ways that you never thought that anything could.

It's said in the olden days that when someone dies that their spirit lives on forever and that because of it, that you can feel that person with you. They may be holding your hand, sitting beside you and admiring the way you do things.

You can feel them, even though you can't see them.

But, whoever said those words. Must be a damn liar. Because, I can't feel him anymore. He's gone, the sound of his voice still lingers around me, the touch of his skin against mine makes me yearn for him. As I lay on the bed in our bedroom and attempt to sort out the events from the last few days, I lick my lips and I swear that I can still feel the way Kol's would press against my own with a tender kiss or a rough and hunger filled desire.

I miss him. It's only been three days since we memorialized and buried my husband. But, I'm still having a hard time with even believing that he's gone. I still think that I'll hear him say my name sweetly or that'll he wake me up from this nightmare that I'm living in, that he'll tell me that it's all just a bad dream and that I can wake up from it. Because, in these last few days since I said my reluctant goodbye to him. I haven't left the house or this room. I don't want to leave the comfort of the bed or the comfort I feel when I bury my face into one of Kol's shirts and inhale his scent as every single one of them fills me with the void that he left behind in my heart. But, it'll never be the exact thing that I need. Because truth be told...All I ever wanted and needed, was him.

"Elena, open the door. Please." Klaus begs me as he shakes me out of my nearly catatonic state, his voice is just as broken as the inside of my heart when I hear him lightly knock on the door, begging me to unlock it and open it, to open up to him about my feelings and how I'm coping with the reazliation of his brother being dead.

"Please, just...go." I tell him, leaning my head against the wall in our bedroom when I shove myself off the bed and lean against the wall, glancing back up towards the bathroom, where it all had happened. My mind feels fuzzy and my stomach tightens and I remind myself that he's now laying six feet under and that I'll never hear his voice or feel the touch of his skin against my own again. And, that's what sets me off.

"Leave me the hell alone, Klaus! Just stop trying to comfort me. I'm perfectly fine without you, I'm capable of feeling nothing all by myself. I don't need your sympatheic words or to listen about how sorry you are that we couldn't save him..Just go." I shout at the closed and locked door, pausing when it goes silent for a moment and I can finally catch a deep breath.

"Elena, please, I lost him too! Now, open up the door. Your parents are here." Klaus replies, his voice cracking as I exhale deeply, and move away from the wall, walking into the bathroom and forcing myself to not look at the bathtub as I feel the bile in my throat rise up and I feel so sick that I can't stand. My shaky legs barely hold me when I move quickly towards the toilet and then it happens. I vomit, vigerously all over the tiles and I'm heaving for a breath as tears stream down my face.

It burns as it all comes back up, my breakfast that I had mostly picked at this morning, so that I didn't get dizzy or faint. I'm coughing and wiping my mouth with the back of my hand as I hear what sounds like the door being kicked in and then I feel him behind me, pulling me against his chest in a comforting way.

"Elena.." He says my name in a soft voice, I can hear it crack as he glances down at me and helps me up fully. So that we both lean and slide down against one of the bathroom walls. Klaus hoists me into his arms as I gaze up to see him lean his head back and I find myself sitting in his lap, turned into him as I sob against my brother in law's chest, cursing myself for how stupid I was, for how selfish and inconsiderate I've been, how childish and niave I was to think that Kol Mikaelson, my childhood sweetheart would live forever. Because, no one ever does.

"It's all my fault..It's all my fault. He's dead because of me, he's gone because of me. I could have saved him and I didn't..He's gone because, I couldn't save him...I couldn't save us!" I cry against Klaus's chest as my hands grip on to his soft colored green shirt and he places his hand on to my head, stroking my hair softly as he holds in him arms when I continue to sob against him, clutching up the fabric to his shirt against my fists.

"Shhh...It's okay. Elena, it's okay." He states, attempting to sooth my cries as I back away from him, tears streaming down my face and my hands shaking as my eyes lock on to Klaus and I ask with a hesitant tone. "It's not, Klaus. Because, we both know that it never will be again. I loved him, I cared for him...I'm never going to love anyone as much as I loved him..I'm so tired, I'm just so tired. How am I supposed to live without him?" I ramble through my tears as he strokes me hair and kisses the top of my head softly.

"I don't know." He states, watching me push away from him. I get up on my wobbly legs, catching myself when I lean against the bed and I glance down at my wedding band, tears leaving stains against my olive colored skin when I inhale sharply and rummage through the things that Kol left behind, looking for his letters, looking for anything I can find to immerse self in that is of his.

"She wants you to sell the house, Elena. They want you to move back home as soon as it's put up for sale." Klaus suddenly tells me, causing me to turn around and lock my surprised eyes on to him, scoffing at his words, just when my mother, Miranda steps into the room and interupts my response to my brother in law.

"Sweetie." She says, extending out her hands to me as I shake my head, running my hands through my hair. When I look at her through my moistened eyes and she observes my tear stained cheeks. "Elena.." She tries once more to reach me, watching as I swallow the lump in my throat and that's when I feel the anger build and I dig into her.

"Don't walk in here and tell me that you want me to sell this house! Kol and I...We…We were supposed to build a future here..We were supposed to live out the rest of our lives here! He bought this house for me...He..." I begin to say as my mother takes a step closer towards me, placing her hands on to my arms and sitting me down on to the bed. She grabs my shaking hands into hers as she locks her watery eyes on to mine and says. "Honey, Kol is gone now. You don't have anything left for you here. Come home, Elena. Come back to Seattle and we'll figure it all out, I promise you."

I'm sickened, stunned by her words as my stomach flips inside out and I feel the bile rise into my esophagus again. I hate that after so long of not wanting to be seemingly interested in my life with Kol that my mother suddenly gives a damn when he's dead and took the first flight out to be here with distraught daughter, who she thinks is on ther verge of a nervous break down.

Hell, maybe she's right. Because, what I say next, throws her and Klaus for a loop. I know that they just want to be here for me in my time of need, in my grief. But, I don't need them..I don't need anyone.

"Get out. Get out of my house, right now. Get the hell out of my house and don't you dare come here again, telling me that I should move on. I buried my husband, three days ago. How dare you tell me that I should move on!" I shout at her in an angered tone, pushing up from the bed and heading towards the bathroom to vomit again when my mother's hostile words stop me.

"How about you tell her, Klaus. Tell her why she should move back home. Tell her or I will because, I think it's time that she's in loop for this whole little plan that Kol had all along. The one he completely forgot to tell my daughter about." My mother adds, glancing up at Klaus who looks pale in the face when he lets out a nervous laugh and I feel my body tense up at the look on his face.

"Tell me what? What is she talking about, Klaus? What's going on?" I ask him. His shoulders are rolled back, his eyes are narrowed to the floor and after a few agnoizing minutes of silence. Klaus finally looks up at me and I can tell that whatever it is, that it's been a big secret between the brothers for awhile, in the whole family...everyone clearly knows something- everyone- except for me.

"Kol made a few investments before he died...One of them being a small building that he placed in my name in downtown Seattle. He bought a building for me without my knowledge so that I could expand my business and my art collection. Elena, my brother left me the keys to it in his letter and he told me that it's waiting for me to fill it with my work and other people's too. So, I'm moving back to Seattle. And, he left a letter too." He tells me, causing me to take a few steps towards him, shaking my head in disbelief.

"What are you talking about? We don't even have that kind of money.." My voice trails off as Klaus exhales deeply and adds. "When our father died a few years ago, he left us all an inheritance that none of us could get to until we were 20 years old. Kol never talked about how much he had gotten from our fathers death. But, he had said that however much it was that he'd put it to good use one day. Before, he had gotten sick and met you, he had been working and adding to the amount he was given. After, he had gotten sick, he started writing these letters to us. Each one of us, has one. And, it explains a lot more than he was ever able to tell." He informs me, handing me the cream colored envelop into my shaking hands as I hold my breath and tears begin to well up into my eyes when my gaze catches Klaus's again.

"There's an extra one too. It's for when you find someone special to love again." He tells me, handing me another envelop that doesn't have anyone's name on it. But, all is says on the front is "Please, give this to Elena and tell her not open it, until it's time." My shaking hands try to calm themselves as I wipe my watery eyes and sit back on to the bed, closing them shut and exhaling. I feel guilty, I feel so stupid for causing a fight with him and I wish that I could take it all back, I wish that I could tell him that I'm sorry, that I never meant to be so cruel, that I never meant to walk out of that door without telling him that I loved him more than he'd ever know. That he was my best friend, my lover and the one person in my life that I felt like I could tell anything to.

"Elena, aren't you going to open it?" Klaus asks me, pulling me out of the hazy images that are playing in front of my eyes, at the memory of watching Kol slip away from us in the hospital, the doctor telling us that there was nothing that could be done because his heart had failed him.

"No..No! Please, No...Baby, wake up. Kol! Kol, you have to wake up! I can't do this without you." I sobbed, fighting against Matt and Klaus's grip on me as the machines in the room went off and the nurses and doctors came running into the room. Matt and Klaus had called Rebekah and I from the hospital, telling us about what had happened and that they were able to get Kol's pulse back long enough for him to be conscious until they got him into the ER. However, when we had gotten there, it was alredy too late because he was barely even breathing anymore.

I collapsed on to the ground, tears streaming down my face when I glanced up to see Rebekah who was covering her hands over her mouth in an attempt to prevent from sobbing even more as tears spilled over on to her cheeks when we all stopped our movements and that's when we heard it, the flat lining and the code blue being called.

"I don't have a pulse anymore! He's crashing!" The nurse shouted as we all stood in shock, near the door way outside of his room, holding out hope that it he'd be okay as she placed both of the electric shock panels on to his chest and shouted. "Clear!"

Matt, Klaus, Rebekah and I all stood in the hallway, too shaken up to even move a muscle as we watched Kol's already limp body gravitate upwards and then crash back down on to the bed. My eyes filled with more tears and my sobs turned into wailing cries against Matt as Klaus lifted himself up off the ground and comforted his sister when she cried against him as we all heard the dreaded words. " Call it. Time of death, 10:56pm."

The memory fades as I feel a tear stream down my face and I sharply inhale. "Can I get a moment alone?" I ask them both, watching as Klaus and my mother both glance up at each other and nod. I fall back against the bed, trying to calm my staggered breath and my rapidly racing heart when my fingers traced the edges of the envelop and I close my eyes. "What could you have possibly left me, when all I ever wanted was you?" I question as I lift the paper into my hands and my fingers rip it open with one quick motion.

Tears continue to fall down my cheeks and on to the comforter beneath me as my eyes opens and with shaking hands, I unfold the paper, reading the words out loud and trying to not sound so strangled in my throat as what he had written for me, leaves my lips and lingers into the air, tearing me apart inside.

_Elena. My sweet and adoring wife..._

_You're the best and most precious thing that has ever happened to me. And, I don't want to lose you. But, if you're reading this.. You probably already know that I didn't beat the cancer. I'm so sorry sweetheart, I tried to be strong for you, I tried to be strong for myself. But, it was too much and I wasn't strong enough to win. I know that you're probably wondering why I wrote you a letter instead of told you all of this. But, as I watch you sleep beside me, I can't fathom telling you goodbye. So, I thought that it'd be easier to get my words out on paper instead of admit to you that I'm scared, that I don't want to leave you that I don't want our lives to be ripped apart from us because of what's happening to me._

_Elena, I have loved you since I met you, since you kissed my cheek in high school and asked me to be your math tutor. You'll never know how much you've meant to me and how much I've loved being with you. I'll take you with me, I'll take our memories and our love and I'll never let it die..I'll love you from afar, even if it kills me to do so._

_What kills me more is that you gave up your life, your career of wanting to be a nurse, you gave it all up for me and because of it. I want to give you a piece of it back...I want you to take your nursing degree and I want you to use it, somewhere. Live your life, sweetheart. Fall in love again, learn to smile and laugh again, learn to heal and open up. Because, no one should be without your beautiful smile and your warmth._

_Surround yourself with family. Lean on Rebekah and Matt when you need them. Tell Hope to not grow up too fast and be the best aunt that you can to her, she loves you. Tell Klaus that you miss me, when you do. Because, he'll understand your pain. And, one last thing...follow your dreams and your heart. Not just because I think you should. But, because, I know you worked too hard at finishing school to throw your nursing degree away. So, please...Don't give it up so easily._

_I love you whole heartedly and purely and I'm going to miss you, every single day as I know you will me. But, it'll get easier with time. I just hope that one day, long after I'm gone, that you'll smile again when you meet someone and whoever he is, that he loves you as much as I did...maybe even more._

_And, when that day comes, sweetheart. You can open the other letter. It's not for you, it's written from me. To the new man in your life. I hope he cares for you and loves you and I hope that you both have a lifetime full of love to give to each other and your future children._

_Oh, and one last thing, the key that is in the evelop will lead you to my old apartment in Seattle, my former bachlor pad that you've never seen before- I don't even think you knew it exsists. But, hey..surpise, I never got rid of it! It's in my brother's name right now. But, let Rebekah take there. Do whatever you want with it, sell it...redecorate..Kick Elijah's ass out of there! Hell, who knows..Maybe you'll fall in love with it and decide to stay there for awhile._

_I love you, Elena. I will always love and cherish you, until my last breath._

_With all my love._

_Kol._

My shaking hands lean down to pick up the piece of wrapped up paper that I see a shiny silver key poking out of and when I grab it into my hands, I stare at it blankly for a minute. He had an apartment and never even once mentioned it to me? Ha, typical Kol!

I smile to myself as I read the writing on it.

_For you only. Be warned, the neighbors around there are kind of crazy. But, they'll help you if you need anything. Just ask them. The apartment is called "The Oxford apartments" The apartment number is: #348. I think your next door neighbors name is Stefan...I'm not really sure though..I've never met the guy. However, I'm sure you will and who knows, hopefully he'll be good looking- just not as good looking as me._

* * *

**Damon's P.O.V.**

I'm half way to my office as I hear her footsteps behind me, she's out of breath when she taps me on the shoulders, tears are in her eyes when she breathes out. "Thank goodness, I found you. I've been looking for you all over the hospital." Bonnie comments, glancing down at the floor as I give her a confused look.

"What's going on? Did we get the go ahead to move forward with the Mikaelson case?" I ask her. Bonnie's eyes reach mine with a vacant stare, she shrugs her shoulders back and exhales deeply when she asks. "You didn't hear about it?"

I tilt my head to the side, my eyes are filled with confusion as I cross my arms over my chest and hear her inhale sharply before replying. "Kol Mikaelson died three days ago. His funeral and memorial service was the other day. We don't have a case any longer." Bonnie tells me, her tears now spilling over as I shake my head, opening my mouth to respond but I can't get past her words.

"That's impossible. He...We were supposed to set up a meeting with his doctors to start our plans for him." I comment, rubbing my face with my hands and taking a step back as I exhale deeply in frustation and utter confusion.

"He was a friend of mine, in college... It took me a while to piece it all back together because we haven't spoken in a few years. But, he was a friend of mine, from years ago. I didn't remember his wife, Elena. But, I remembered him the moment she started talking about him in my office." I comment, feeling Bonnie's hand being placed on to my shoulder as she glances up at me and gives me a saddened look. "I know and I'm sorry."

Neither of us reply for a long time, her hand's still on my arm as I don't move from her touch and I feel my other hand lift up and hover over hers. "I'm sorry too. I'm sorry that I was so harsh on you...I just...I get into this mind set of thinking that I'm right when I was clearly wrong. Bonnie, you were right. I should have been honest, with his wife. I should have told her how bad his cancer really was and that-."

Bonnie cuts me off, removing her hand from my touch as she locks her eyes on to mine and states. "Dr. Salvatore. It wasn't the cancer that killed him, it was a bad reaction to the medication that he was taking and he died from a heart attack. None of us had any idea that this was going to happen. It was an accident and sudden." She tells me, pivoting on her heels as she turns back around towards me and states over her shoulder. "I know it's hard and that I probably care too much about people. But, that's just the type of person that I am and I can't change that. Damon, if you need someone to talk too. Come and find me, I'll be around."

I watch her walk away as I close my eyes and inhale through my mouth. But, my moment of calm is short lived as I watch Bonnie pause in the middle of the hall and she turns backaround to me. "I was wrong about you, Dr. Salvatore. You're that bad of a guy and I'm sorry too for things I said. I was out of line to speak to you like that."

* * *

**Caroline's P.O.V.**

I haven't been able to call him and tell him that I've thought about his offer. That I've really thought it through and that I want to sell some of my paintings to Klaus Mikaelson.

I'm too caught up in my thoughts about the art dealer with the hot British accent to notice the young woman running up towards the elevator, just as it closes to even press the button to hold it open for her.

"You know, some common curiosity would be nice. Like holding the elevator doors open when you seen someone running towards them." She states in a sour tone when she steps inside of it, just as it begins to close and her darkened eye lashes look at me with a feisty glare, I smile at her. I watch as she rolls up the purple and pink umbrella in her hands, fixing her dampened curly brown hair and shrugging off the rain droplets from her white Northface coat.

"Sorry." I state simply, turning towards her and asking. "Which floor do you need?" She removes her perfectly manicured hands from her pockets and shrugs her shoulders back, fluffing up her hair once more when she adds. "The 3rd floor."

I smile to myself and indirectly look over at her, pressing the button and leaning against the carriage as I watch her shove her hands back into her pockets, shivering a little when she glares at me.

"What?" She hisses out, rolling her eyes and huffing out a breath.

"Nothing. It just, I like your purse. Where'd you get it?" I comment with a sweet tone as she huffs out an annoyed breath and states. "I got it as a wedding present from my mother. Now, can you please stop making small talk with me...ugh, you people from Seattle are so obnoxious." She shutters out just as the elevator doors open again and I step back, allowing her to go first.

"You must be from out of town and not used to a bit of kindness. Manhattan perhaps." I comment quickly, following her as she goes in the direction of my apartment, causing me to pause when she stops in front of _his_ door.

"Huh. Actually, my exe still lives here. I'm from Canada." She replies with a quick shrug, stopping in front of the familiar apartment number and knocking on it with a bit of aggression. I watch her roll her eyes when the door doesn't open up after a few minutes and she glances over at me with a pure annoyance on her face.

"Do you know if he's even home?" She asks me, looking over at me as my hands fumble with my own keys and I unlock the door to my apartment, taking a step inside when I ask. "Who, Stefan?"

She nods, puckering up her lips and turning to leave as I pause near my apartment door, staring at her. "Oh my god. You're..." I begin to say as I watch her lift up her hand and she stops me in mid sentence when she tilts her head to the side with an amused look.

"So, you've heard about me. Wow, I wonder who else he's told." She comments, placing her hand back on to the door as I clear my throat and watch her for a moment. "If he doesn't answer, he's probably at the hospital... He's been studying a lot lately for some pretty big test or something." I comment, watching as she throws a gaze in my direction that has a hint of jealously.

"Oh, So you do know him fairly well. Hmm...That's nice. Now, will excuse me. I'm about to give him a wake up call." She says without even telling me her name and I take that as a sign to leave. But, not before I open my mouth to add in. " Well, I kind of do know him. We bonded over being heartbroken once. He gave me a bottle of free vodka that I need to repay him for. Wait..you're the woman that left him at the alter?"

Her head snaps up from her focus on the door and I swear that I feel her hatred seeping through when she says. "And, you're the neighbor who already knows too much. Clearly, Stefan's been spending too much time drinking with you. That's nice to know."

* * *

**Stefan's P.O.V.**

I wake up to the excessive knocking on my front door as I roll off the couch, the tapping of the raindrops on my windows and the overcast skies that are causing my apartment to look dark and glooy, along with the sports channel blaring on my big screen in the living room, must have caused me to crash pretty hard because when I wake up, I feel a bit disoriented as I stumble to my feet.

"I'll be right there!" I shout at the front door, pushing myself up off the floor as I pass by a small rectangular mirror in my apartment and get a glimpse of my tired looking face. I've spent all day studying, and worrying about how I'm going to tell my father that I can't do medical school, that it isn't in the cards for me and that I want something a bit different to even notice that I open the door without a shirt. But, when I do and it flings open. My mouth nearly drops to the floor as my whole body freezes when her dark brown hair moves out of her eyes and she smiles at me, with a sweet smile innocent gaze, one that she had given me any times before.

"Hello lover." She states with a wink, brushing past me, licking her lips as I feel her warm hand being placed on to my chest and I feel my body stumble back as she pushes me up against the wall, leaning into me and kissing my lips with a heated fire that spreads through my entire body. But, instead of giving in like she wants, I push her away, wiping my mouth and glaring at her as I shout. "What the hell are you doing here, Katherine. I thought you left to Canada?"

She tilts her head to the side in a bit of disappointment, rolling her eyes when she digs into her purse and shrugs her shoulders. "Well, I did for awhile. But, he left me, Stefan. So, I came back."

My green eyes widen at the woman that I had been set to marry and my jaw clenches together as I cross my arms over my chest and she bats her long brown eyes lashes at me in a suggestive way.

"I'm going to give you five minutes to answer me. And, I swear to god that if you don't give me the truth. I'll kick you out of here very quickly." I tel her in a threatening tone as I watch her eyes lift up to meet mine. Katherine spins a small piece of hair in between her fingers when she grins up at me and states. "I made a mistake in leaving you and now, I'm here to win you back. You loved me once, Stefan. Surely, you can find a place in your heart to love me again."

* * *

**A/N: Oh boy...moving on won't be easy for Elena and especially moving to Kol's old apartment...Hmm...Maybe meeting Elijah and or a certain green eyed Salvatore will help her. ;) **

**However, with the return of his exe, it looks like Stefan's about to have his hands full! **

**More goodness to come with Bamon, Matt/Rebekah and Klaroline as well. I promise! :) **

**-Until Next Time!- **

**Thanks so much for reading & Please let me know that you thought about this update. Hopefully, you all liked it.**


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Hey guys! Thank you all so much for the commenting, following and favoriting this story. :) So glad that so many of you are liking it.

So without further delay. Here's CH.5!

* * *

**Crash Into Me-Chapter Five**

**Elena's P.O.V.**

As I watch the house fade from the rearview mirror, the for sale sign makes my stomach tighten when I drive away with tears streaming down my face. It's been nearly two weeks since we put it up for sale and moved all of my things either to my in law's house or to Seattle, where I'll be staying and starting my new life at Kol's old apartment.

My shaking hands make me pull the car over, my cell phone pings with the sound of a text message and when I read it, I'm crying even harder than I was when I handed over the keys to the real estate agent who's going to be selling our house.

"Your plane leaves in three hours. Rebekah will be waiting for you at the airport with Hope. So, just make sure that you're on that plane. Everything's going to be okay, Elena. Klaus and I just touched down in Seattle- We're going to go the apartment with the rental car. We'll see you soon."

I want to turn around and not enter the freeway that'll take me to my in law's house, to turn over my car and have them drive me to the airport, out of this state, out of the city that I love and that makes me think of him, so many times in the last two weeks.. I don't want to go there and say my goodbyes to them too. I'm not ready for that. So maybe that's what causes me to do it- turn the car around and drive back down the familiar street, staring up at the house with it's white colored shingles and perfectly manicured lawn, the wrap around porch makes me smile as I close my eyes and feel myself drift. Remembering the first time that I had ever stepped foot into the house and had wanted to call it home…..

_"Please tell me you love this house." Kol told me, pivoting on his feet with an exhausted look on his face as I smirked a bit while walking through the kitchen. He watched me run my hands through my hair, my finger tips dropping to lightly touch the light colored wood of the counter tops, smiling as I turned around._

_"I like it. I could see us having sex in it- everywhere." Especially on these countertops. They seem pretty sturdy." I commented, trying to not burst into laughter as I watched his eyes widen and his mouth drop open a little._

_"Elena...Did I just hear you correctly?" He asked, tilting his head to the side and taking a step towards me as I kept walking, turning around just a little to wink at him with a playful and flirty gaze._

_"Did I just say that out loud? Opps. I didn't think you'd be listening since all you've been doing this morning is calling and texting your brother. Telling him to find us a bunch of different houses to look at. This whole house hunting thing is exhausting, Kol. We need to narrow it down, to just one." I said, stopping near where I could see our living room being, a large bay window that overlooked a park that was across the street._

_"I could see us living here. Having our kids play across the street, walking the dog…" My voice trailed off as I felt him behind me. His arms firmly wrapping around my waistline, pulling me closer against him as he whispered. "I thought you didn't want to talk about kids yet. We're not even married yet." He pointed out, watching me pivot on my heels as I turned around in his arms and pulled him to me, my arms loosely placed around his neck._

_"We can talk about our future, Kol. About the life we're going to eventually have together. Once we find a place to live..I like this house, I really do." I told him, smiling as I felt his hand caress my face when his eyes locked on to mine and he shrugged his shoulders back, leaning into me and kissing my lips. I felt him back away from me and pushing a strand of my hair out of my face as he announced. "Good. Because, I've already made a few deals with the owner and realtor and...It's ours."_

_He grinned as my eyes widen and a smile that never left my face made an appearance. "You're joking…"_

_He shook his head, unraveled his arms from my body, taking my hand into his as he took me down the hall and cleared his throat. "Nope. I'm not. It's ours, Elena...I've been keeping it a secret from you for a while, actually. Because, I've been waiting for this moment." He said as I gave him a confused look and watched him open the door to what I suspected was another empty bedroom._

_"What are you talking about?" I asked him, hearing him tell me to close my eyes as I heard the creak of the door and it being pushed open. I could feel his hand lead me into the room, the smell of roses and lavender overwhelming my senses as he whispered. "Happy birthday to love of my life. You can open your eyes now."_

_I could feel the heat on my cheeks and when I opened my eyes to look around the room, Kol was standing in front of me with a shrug of his shoulders and a smile. "I know you said that you wanted me to take you somewhere romantic for your birthday. But, I thought we could celebrate it here instead, in our new house…all alone." He explained, watching my eyes grow wide as he shut the lights off in the room and it got a bit darkened when he closed the elongated red curtains._

_"What about someone walking in on us..It's not completely offcial that we got the house..Is it? I mean, these things take months..And, what about Klaus..Won't he be back?" Kol laughed, glanced down at the floor as I looked over on the bed and saw the pieces of pink rose petals scattered across the white down comforter._

_"Well, good thing that I started this whole process a few months ago. Those papers I had you sign...They were for this, not that silly little thing I lied about to you. And, we have the key. So, you know..Technically, we're not supposed to be doing this now. Although, the realtor is a family friend and when I told him that I wanted to show you the house, he said it wasn't a problem and gave me the key. He never said anything else about it, just told me to give him the key back when we were done." Kol elaborated as I shook my head, taking a step towards him and wrapping my arms around his waistline, pulling him closer to me as our lips brushed against each others before I spoke._

_"What about Klaus?" I asked him, feeling Kol's hand touch my face, his thumb rubbing against my cheek. "I handled him already, I sent him on a wild goose chase so that I could be alone with my fiance right now. He won't be back for hours. Trust me on that one. Now, what was it that you said about having sex all over the house?" He asked with a wink as I laughed, my voice echoing throughout the barely furnished room, a bed on the floor with candles surrounding it on a small outdoor bench, the scent of roses and lavender filling the room as my hands slide underneath his shirt and I felt us stumble back, my ankles hitting against the mattress that he had placed on the floor._

_"We're breaking rules. And, how did you get this mattress and stuff in here without anyone noticing it?" I laughed, placing my hand on to his bare chest, my fingers softly running over his skin as he smiled, lifting up my face with his finger under my chin. "Well, It was staged with it for an open house, still had plastic on it when I took the old sheets off. I guess they left it behind. Not very romantic. But, I don't care, Elena. Because, all I want is to show my fiance how much I love her." He commented, kissing my lips as I felt his arms lower me down against the bed, deepening the kiss when I arched my back against his body and uttered out. "I don't care either. Because, this is perfect."_

"Where are you? Flight got rescheduled. We're leaving sooner than expected. Hurry, Elena...I know it's hard to leave everything behind. Are you even ready for this?" The text message from Rebekah shakes me out of my thoughts as I feel a tear stream down my face and I inhale sharply, hands still clutching the steering wheel. One of my hands grabs my phone from the cup holder in the car and I glance at her message before replying back with a simple. "I'm ready. I'll see you soon." I take a few deep breathes as I turn the car back on and drive down the street, not wanting to look back at the house that made me feel so loved and so empty inside all at the same time, telling myself that it was okay and that eventually, things would be better.

* * *

**Stefan's P.O.V.**

"You and I are going to be roommates for a bit." She tells me, walking around my apartment and replacing pictures of my family with ones of her and I. Brushing her hand across the white bricks of the fireplace mantel with an amused look plastered across her face.

"You're not staying here, Katherine. Go back home and stay there." I tell her harshly, watching as she lifts her head up a little, her brown eyes smiling when she smirks at me and yawns.

"Ugh, seriously? You think that I came all this way for you to kick me out again. Come on, Stefan. I came back to Seattle for you. It's that simple. I want you back and deep down, I know you feel the same. So, I've been here for two weeks, just waiting for you to tell me that!" She states,as she exhales out a breath with an annoyed tone.

"Besides, I've been sleeping in hotels for weeks since I've been here. Because, you haven't offered me a place to stay here with you. So, I figured I'd need to take measures into my own hands. I'm your house guest now, whether you like it or not." Katherine tells me, this glistening in her brown eyes when she points over to her three red colored suitcases and crosses her arms over her chest, leaning against one of the walls by the window that overlooks a huge skyscraper.

"How much clearer do I have to make it! Go home, Katherine. You're unwanted. What is it about that, that you don't understand?" I nearly shout at her, my anger coming to a boiling point and part of me wishes that I had never given that bottle of alcohol to my neighbor, Caroline- because I could use it right now just staring up at Katherine.

I watch her take a step towards me, straightening out her red tank top when she gazes up at me once more, batting her eyes in a suggestive way as I feel my body tighten when she approaches me, leaning into my ear and whispering. "I love it when you get angry. It's very sexy and appealing."

Katherine places her finger against her lips, kissing my cheek as she says in a very low and slightly joyous tone. "You and I are going to have a lot of fun, living together."

My jaw tightens as I take a step away from her, relieved that she isn't trying to touch me again when I move towards the front door to the apartment, placing my hand on to the door knob. "Well, you have fun figuring that out without me. I'm going to go cool down. Because looking at you, is pissing me off." I tell her, right as I open the door and slam it shut behind me, angrily making my way out of the apartment and to the nearest liquor store..If I'm going to be living with my stubborn exe fiance who I can't kick out that easily- I'm going to need a drink...a lot of them before I face her again.

* * *

**Damon's P.O.V.**

"She did what?" I yell into my phone. I'm stunned that Katherine's been back for two weeks and Stefan hasn't even told me anything about it at all. As I listen to him talk and tell me everything about what's going on, I glance up to see her, she looks nearly lost in the crowd of staff with their lunch trays walking around the hospital cafeteria. Bonnie's got a pink ribbon pinned to her scrubs as she looks around the busy room and then I watch as her face relaxes a bit when she finally spots me, waving her over.

"Listen Stefan. Don't do anything stupid. Under no circumstances. Don't you dare allow her to-." I begin to say as he cuts me off, explaining that she unwilling made herself a guest in his apartment and he's been outside of the building for the past hour, trying to figure out how to kick her out of it and where to go get drunk at before he has to deal with her again.

"Son of a bitch..Stefan! What were you thinking, now she's never going to leave!" I tell him in an annoyed tone, gazing up to see Bonnie give me a confused look as I shake my head, rubbing my hands over my face when Bonnie sits across from me and waits until I tell my brother that I have to go, hanging up the phone and angrily placing it on to the table before she speaks.

"Bad day?" She asks me, a small saddened look forming across her lips as I nod and inhale through a tightened jaw. "You have no idea. My brother did the dumbest thing ever. He invited his exe to live with him..Well, more like- she invited herself. But, this woman ruined his life by leaving him at the altar not even 2 months ago and now, she's back, living with him! Who does that?"

Bonnie's eyes widen as she places her spoon full of butterscotch pudding back into the styrofoam cup in front of her and sighs out a breath. "Wow, that's complicated. Why doesn't he just kick her out."

She watches me roll my shoulders back, the tension in my body from Stefan makes my head hurt as I gaze over at Bonnie and let out a laugh. "I have no idea...Anyways, enough about my brother and psychotic ex- fiance. How's your day going?" I ask her, watching as she leans towards me a little, placing her hands on to the table when her eyes lock on to mine and she asks. "It's going terrible. How do you deal with this?"

I smile at her, clearing my throat. "With what? The pressure of working here? I go out whenever I can..I go wine tasting on the weekends sometimes. There's this really nice vineyard that's a bit far away from the city, that my dad's friend owns and he hosts parties there on occasion. Going to his parties, help me relax. Being away from my co-workers and in a group of people that I feel comfortable around, is a nice thing." I tell her, gazing up to see her lean back into her chair and then we both pause when I blurt out.

"Maybe I could take you to one, one day. You would probably like it." I tell her, swallowing my words as Bonnie lets out a small laugh and smiles up at me with bright eyes as she replies. "I like that. Besides, maybe it would give you and I a chance to start over. You seem like you'd be a good friend, Damon." I smile at her words, pushing away from the cafeteria table as my pager goes off and I glance down at it. "Think about it and let me know. It's usually a room full of snobby rich medical professionals and things like that. But, I'm sure you'd enjoy it."

She nods, stopping me in my tracks when she looks up and asks. "So, when's the next event being held? I spend so much time here that I've forgotten what it feels like to go out and have some fun." She tells me, her cheeks blushing a little as I joke. "Are you trying to invite yourself to be my date or something, Nurse Bennett?"

Bonnie gives me a slightly shocked facial expression as she realizes what she's said and then she stammers out. " I didn't..I mean...I'm not..I just thought that you-." I lift my hand, placing my hands into my pockets and let out another laugh when I comment. "It's fine. I'd love to have someone else there besides all of those people I've known for years. So, I'll let you know when it happens. But for now, work calls."

She smiles at me with a grin and then says. "Yeah. Okay...Get to work, Dr. Salvatore. I'll see you around." I walk away from her, turning my back and feeling proud of myself as I whisper. "I'll see you around, Nurse Bennett."

* * *

**Klaus's P.O.V.**

**Missed Call. August 16th,2013. **_Hey, It's Caroline Forbes. The girl that you met at Pike Place Market in Seattle over a few weeks ago. I know that you told me to give you a call. So, here I am..Calling you back. Um..I made up my mind and I'd like to sell you my paintings. Look, if you're in town sometime soon. I'd love to meet up and we could talk about it..That is if you're not busy." _

I smile just a little bit, watching as Matt hands the parking lot attendant a $5 bill and he exhales, leaning his head against the steering wheel.

"What's wrong?" I ask him just as he lifts his head, gazing over at me with pursed lips and a small frown.

"I don't know that moving here with you, Klaus was the right thing for Rebekah and I to do. My whole life is in Louisiana...My friends, my family. Are you sure that this-." I cut him off by placing my hand on to his back, patting his shoulder as I smile at him just slightly, trying to reassure myself and my brother in law that this indeed was the right move to make.

"We're doing the right thing, Matt. We'll be happy and okay here. All of us, together. We just need to find time to adjust to it all. Look, how about we drive to Kol's old apartment and look through it before the girls get here. I'm pretty sure that their might be some things that Kol didn't want Elena to see." I tell him with a wink, watching Matt nod at me as he drives towards the apartment and glances over at me as I stare down at my phone.

"Why are you smiling?" He asks with a chuckle as I shrug my shoulders. "It's nothing, I just got a phone call from some woman that wants to sell me her paintings. She's a local artist here and I met her when Elena and I came up to visit. She called me." I tell him, glancing up to see him giving me a smirk.

"Is she single?" Matt jokes, his laughter filling the silent car as my finger hovers over the contact number that's now listed for Caroline Forbes in my phone.

"Not really sure. She's pretty though. Blonde hair, blued eyed, a spark that could light up a room. And, she seems very knowledgeable about art. Which I like." I reply to him, watching the street as I notice us getting closer to the familiar apartments. The ones that Kol and I had spent months together in, talking about what our lives were going to be like, day dreaming about our futures and just spending quality time as brother's together with Elijah, whenever we'd be in the same spot of town together.

"Well, even if she isn't. I say call her back, Klaus. You have nothing to lose." Matt remarks when we both gaze up at the 40 story apartment building that overlooks the city, that's near the space needle and in the heart of downtown. "We're here." I comment, my voice cracking a little as I look over at Matt and watch him nod.

"Yeah. Listen, give me the spare key. I'm going to go see if Elijah's in there. And, you call that girl back." He tells me, smiling when he opens the car door and steps out, leaving me alone with my own thoughts and my cell phone in my hands, contemplating if I should really call her or not.

* * *

It takes me a good 20 minutes and a few deep breathes before I finally manage to lift the phone to my ear, the buzzing sound of the ringer causes my body to tense a little. But, when her smooth and friendly sounding voice answers, I relax a bit.

" Hi. This is Caroline." She comments. If I close my eyes, I can see her smiling when she says it and just when I open my mouth to reply, Caroline speaks first.

"If this is Klaus Mikaelson. I programmed your number into my phone. I just wanted to apologize for the three messages that I sent you regarding my work….I just want to get rid of it." She tells me as I chuckle and clear my throat.

"It's fine, Caroline. I'm glad you decided to call me about it. I'm sorry that I never called you back and it took me so long. I've had some personal things going on and I really haven't had time to call anyone. But, I was thinking about what you said in your messages to me. I'm in Seattle right now and I'd love it if we could meet up some place."

"Now?" She questions, a hesitant tone in her voice when she asks and I smile, glancing up at the window and towards the apartment building that I don't want to go into just yet. I don't want to be overwhelmed with memories and feelings, of the broken promises that I made to my brother.

"You know, there's something that I've been avoiding on doing and because of it. I'm free right now. How about we meet up tonight? There's this lovely little coffee shop on 1st Ave & Seneca, near downtown that I think you'd like." I ask her, continuing to stare out the window and praying that she'll say 'yes'. Just so that I don't have to go into Kol's apartment at the moment.

It's silent for a moment between us, all I can hear is her breathing and just when I think that she's about to say 'No.' Caroline giggles a little and says. "Sure, sounds great. The Cherry Street Coffee House is my favorite. So, I guess I'll see you soon."

I smile, pulling out the keys from the ignition that Matt had left for me to lock the car with as I finally open the passenger side door, with my cell phone still in my hands as I say, before hanging up "I'll see you soon then, Caroline."

* * *

**Rebekah's P.O.V.**

Hope's cranky and has been crying nonstop after the 6 hour flight as Elena and I catch a taxi and we smoosh into the backseat of it with a young man that's completely ignoring the fact that my daughter is high pitched sobbing into his ears and that nothing seems to be calming her down.

"I don't know what's wrong with her and I swear to god that I'm going to kick Matt's ass when I see him. He was supposed to pick us up from the airport. But, no..his phone is turned off and I can't reach him. Also, same thing with my brother! Ugh...I'm going to give them a piece of my mind when I-." I rambled on and on as the cab driver cuts me off. "Hey lady. I'd love to hear more about your problems. But, I'm trying to get people to their destinations. So, where are you two going?" He asks me as I glance over at Elena and she tells him the address. We hear him exhale as he smiles and states. "Great. All three of you are going to the same place. Makes my job a lot easier."

All three of us? Elena watches as I give her a look and she shrugs her shoulders back. It's getting late and the sun's gone down already, preventing either of us from really seeing our surroundings that much and paying any attention to who I'm sitting beside. But, after a few miles of driving on the freeway and a few minutes of silence, Elena gazes up at me and says. "Your arms must be exhausted."

I nod my head, tightening my grasp around my daughter who's calmed down a little bit and has started touching the man's jacket that's sitting beside me. "I'm sorry. She likes soft things.." I comment, adding quickly to him. "They calm her down and I couldn't get her carseat in here. So, holding and buckling us up is the best I could do." I'm rambling again as I feel Elena's elbow nudge me in my rib cage and the man laughs a little, finally speaking. "It's totally fine. The car ride isn't long at all. Just a few more minutes." He tells us as he asks. "How old is your daughter?"

I smile at him and I'm pretty sure that he can't really see me. But as the lights from the city shine into the taxi cab, I can see his warm green eyes and a smile forms across his face. He's young and handsome- that's for sure.

"She's going to be 4 years old soon. Her name's Hope." I tell him, hearing Elena sigh out a breath as she leans into me and whispers ever so softly. "Do we really have to make small talk with this guy..He might be a creeper."

I laugh a little, feeling the sudden stop of the taxi cab when the driver announces. "We're here."

I watch Elena give him some cash as she looks over at me, opening the door and stepping out, the light in the car finally comes on and when I step out at the same time as the guy who was sitting beside me and my daughter, Elena watches the taxi driver and the guy who I sat beside, pull out our luggage from the trunk. Her eyes are glued to him, a stunned expression is on her face as she leans against the open car door and then she says. "Unbelieveable..I know him."

"How do you know him?" I ask her with a curious glance, watching as she takes a step back, her face reddens with a slight blush when he walks over to us, placing our bags on the the curb, right in front of the entrance to the apartment building and just when their eyes meet and they both realize it. He states with an equally surprised tone. "Coffee girl. We meet again. "

I'm beyond confused as I adjust Hope in my arms and step up on to the curb near the building with our bags, overhearing my sister in law state. "I'd prefer to be called, Elena."

He smiles an amused look, extending out his hand when a spark seems to ignite in his green eyes as he laughs and adds. "Good to know you have a name, Elena. Because, I was going to say. I'd prefer to be called, Stefan.. Instead of that nickname you had given me in the taxi. 'Creeper' was it? That wasn't very nice."

* * *

**A/N:** Please let me know your thoughts about this chapter. More goodness to come, I promise! :)

Also, for those of you who follow me on Twitter. My old account got hacked. So, I made a few one.

Follow me on Twitter for updates or to discuss my stories at: BePassionate_24

-Until Next Time!-


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: **Hey all! Thank you guys so much for liking this story, for reviewing and following it. :) Really means a lot to me and I love knowing that so many of you have found this story interesting...makes me really happy!

Enjoy & thanks so much for reading :)

* * *

**Crash Into Me- Chapter Six **

**Klaus's P.O.V. **

She's got these red high heels on and a cream colored dress, her curly blonde hair is flowing over her shoulders and bounces up and down when she walks through the door of the coffee shop, glancing around to see me waving at her, noticing me sitting near the sandy and light colored fireplace, alone.

"Klaus. Hi." Caroline comments, extending out her hand and switching her bag from one shoulder to the other as I get up and pull out the chair beside me for her to sit down in, she glances up at me with a beaming smile, taking the offering and sitting down as I sit beside her and begin to talk. "I'm glad you came, for moment I thought that you were going to completely ignore me or something." I tell her, hearing Caroline laugh as she nods. "I thought about it. But, you kind of sounded like you needed a distraction." She states, placing her hands on to the table in front of us and bringing them together nervously.

"I just want to make this clear, this isn't a date." She tells me, her blue eyes are smiling as much as she is, maybe even more when she blurts the words out and I nod. "Okay, it's not a date. It's a business proposal and a distraction from me avoiding my real problems." I tell her, hearing Caroline huff out a breath as I get up and politely ask. "So, what do want to drink. Coffee or tea?"

"Coffee." Caroline replies, watching me step behind her as I nod, walking towards the end of the line and glancing back at her as I see her pulling out her compact mirror and checking her makeup.

* * *

**Caroline's P.O.V. **

I'm fidgeting when he walks back towards the table with our drinks and places mine on to the table, giving me a worried look. "Are you alright?" Klaus asks me, tilting his head to the side and pulling his chair back until he scoots forward again and holds his coffee cup into his hands.

"I'm fine..Actually, I'm nervous and I really have no idea why. It's not like I don't know you…" My voice trails off, it feels as if it's stuck in my throat as Klaus leans back, smiling at me and tapping his finger against the coffee mug in front of him, with a smirk on his face. "You don't really know me that well." He corrects me, causing my face to redden just a bit.

"Well, I know you sell paintings, that you're an art dealer in New Orleans." I comment, smiling as he does the same, hearing his fingers snap together when he glances up at me and says. "You remembered."

"Of course, I did. That's why we're here..Isn't it?" I ask him, watching Klaus run his fingers through his hair when he adds. "Yeah. But, the truth is, Caroline. My brother just died and, everyone is back at his apartment, filtering through his things and I can't do that yet, I can't let him go. You see, he gave me this key to an art gallery in downtown and I don't know what to do with it." He confesses, causing me to give him a bewildered look.

"Oh god. Klaus, I'm so sorry about your loss. I-." He cuts me off, placing his hand over my on the table that separates us when he says in a serious tone. "Do you want to go see this art gallery with me?"

The change of subject from his brother dying to him asking me to go with him..Me, a total stranger, throw me for a loop as he removes his hand from mine and then he asks again, with a smile this time. "Caroline, would you like to accompany me to the Bella Vista art gallery that is now mine. That, is if you don't have any other plans." He adds with a smile as I look around the room, the coffee shop slowly filling with squeaking shoes from the rain that's started pouring outside to the jackets that people are zipping and unzipping around us.

"Sure." I blurt out, watching as he nods, shrugging his shoulders back as he states. "Let's talk about your art work along the way." He tells me, getting up from his chair as I follow behind him and we make our way outside.

Klaus watches me pull out my red umbrella and just when I grab it, he takes it from me first, hovering it above our heads when he glances up at me and says. "I'm taller, allow me."

We walk in silence for a while, not too long until he speaks up again and for some reason, the sound of his voice has me so intrigued by him. "You know, my brother, Kol. He was a good man. He loved his family, loved and adored his wife, Elena. He was my best friend and I'm struggling with knowing that he's not going to see his niece grow up, or that he won't be here for the most important things in our lives…." His voice trails off as the small rain storm that hit begins to taper off and I watch Klaus close and roll up my umbrella, handing it back to me.

"Klaus, shouldn't you be with your family instead of with me? Aren't they waiting for you?" I ask him, watching as he shrugs, nodding just a bit when he stops in front of small side store that's to our right side when he looks up and nods. "Yeah, I probably should. But, to be honest, I can't be with them right now...They're all walking on pins and needles around each other. Like ticking time bombs, someone's going to blow up into a fit of rage over all of losing Kol and I just..I can't handle that right now."

"How is this any better? Telling a stranger your life story." I comment with a shake of my head, hearing him unlock the door to the small shop, pushing it open as the floor creaks beneath us and he glances back at me, replying to my words with a smile. "Well, let's spend some time together in here, and after talking, we won't be such strangers anymore, now will we?" He asks as I glance down at my shoes when they hit the floor, echoing into the darkness of the building that nearly looks empty.

"I guess we won't be." I tell him, shutting the door behind me as Klaus flips on the lights and both of us gasp a bit.

"It's beautiful." I comment, watching him smile as he looks around and nods. "Yeah, it sure is. Now, take a seat, Caroline and tell me a little bit about yourself.

His words make my stop for a moment as I nod and then I place my hands onto the table beside us when I ask. "What do you want to know..Do you want to know more about Caroline Forbes, the artist or Caroline Forbes, the girl whose just gone through a really bad break up?"

Klaus laughs a little, placing his hands on to the table and looking over at me when he asks. "I'd like to know more about both." He comments, grinning as I exhale heavily, turning towards my purse and pulling out one of those small hotel complementary sized bottles of whiskey from it as he gives me a confused look as I add. "Well, we'll need a drink for both stories. So, bottoms up!"

Klaus smiles at me, grabbing the small bottle from my hand, clinking it together with the one that I'm holding as I watch him open his up and then he says. "It can't be that bad, Caroline."

I shake my head, puckering up my lips as I take a sip of the whiskey and then laugh. "Oh, you have no idea. It's really bad and I think we'll need to upgrade to bigger bottles of alcohol once these baby sized ones are gone and I start telling you about my break up." I reply with a laugh, hearing Klaus's laugh echo as we sit there, smiling and laughing with each other, for a moment forgetting how empty with both must feel inside.

* * *

**Rebekah's P.O.V.**

"Where in the hell is he?" I shout out, causing Elijah to shush me as I look over to see Hope's eyes widen when she looks over at Elijah and states "Momma said a bad word!"

Elijah laughs, tickling my daughters side as she sits in between him and Matt. Hope's laughter fills the room as I huff out an annoyed breath. "Seriously, Matt...What did Klaus say to you that-." My question gets interrupted when Elena bursts through the door with a pissed off facial expression that looks as if she's about to kill someone.

"Elijah..I didn't know that-." She begins to say, wiping her hands off her jeans and walking towards the couch, extending out her hand towards him as we both watch him get up and embrace Elena. He holds her for a moment, whispering to her how sorry he is to hear about Kol.

"I'm sorry too." Elena states with watery eyes as she looks over at me and shrugs her shoulders back.

"This is for you." I tell her, tossing her the apartment key as she catches it and glances over at Matt and me.

"Stay here with me for the next few days, until I get settled in." It's like she's begging us to be with her and to be honest, I can see the fear she has in her eyes of being alone when I look over at Matt and nod. "Of course we will."

"So, does anyone know where Klaus is?" I ask, hearing Matt finally clear his throat when he smiles and laughs.

"What?" I snap towards him, watching him get up off the brown leather couch as he smirks. "I think I do...Don't bother him, Rebekah. He'll come home eventually."

"Don't bother him? Matt, he's supposed to be here with us..He's supposed to help us go through Kol's things!" I exclaim, exhaling heavily as Matt walks over towards me slowly, embracing me and kissing the top of my head when he points out. "Elena's here. She was his wife, Rebekah…"

"I know. I just, I wanted all of us do this together..It would have been easier." I comment, watching Matt take my hands into his own as he forces me to look up at him when he adds. "Give Klaus some time. I promise, he'll be here."

* * *

**Elena's P.O.V.**

His room, has a 360 degree view of Seattle and the cities skyscrapers. The city below us is busy tonight with traffic and people walking on the sidewalk, shouting and honking noises can be heard down below and it amazes me that when I look past one of the buildings, I can see a part of space needle towering just as tall as the rest of the building in the distance.

Her footsteps into Kol's bedroom shake me out of my amazement as she stops near the door and leans against the door frame, speaking softly. "This place cost him a fortune. It was mostly my parent's money. But, Kol loved it so much that he had them convinced that he'd stay in it forever." She comments, walking further into the room with a box in her hands as I look over at Rebekah. Her face is red, eyes puffy and she looks as if she's been crying when she places the wooden box on to the white down feather bedspread, opening it before she sits down beside me

on the left side of the bed, near the wall that separates the bedroom and the hallway.

"Elena, this box is for you…" She tells me, causing my head to snap up as I bend over and glance into it, my shaking hands picking up a picture of the two of us. "I can't believe he kept these…" My voice breaks as I hold up the faded picture to the light, my pink polka dot dress and pigtails were blowing in the wind as Kol has come from behind me and hugged me tightly in the playground. "We were 6 years old when this was taken." I comment, handing Rebekah the picture when she says. "He kept everything. He didn't want to forget anything about the time he spent with you. He really did love you, Elena." She tells me, placing her hand on to my shoulder as I turn and nod, smiling at her through unshed tears. "I know he did. I loved him too."

A light knock on the bedroom door makes Rebekah and I look up and when we do, Elijah's standing there with a gray t-shirt on, a small smile on his face when he informs me. "Elena, there's a man at the front door for you. He says you forgot one of your bags and he brought it up with him to give back to you."

"What?" I ask, getting up from the bed and brushing past Elijah as I open the front door and see him leaning against the wall with one hand, his body is hovering over my bag and he's got this sweet smile on his face when he says. "Hi again."

* * *

**Stefan's P.O.V.**

She looks beyond pissed off when I push her duffel bag towards her and she bites down on her lower lip, huffing out a breath.

"Thanks for returning my bag." She tells me, watching me shrug my shoulders back when she goes to grab it and I nod. "You're welcome. You know, next time you need some help with your bags, all you have to do is ask me for help." I tell her, looking at her directly as Elena nods and crosses her arms over her chest, taking a step back into the apartment when I give her a confused look. "You live with Elijah?" I ask her.

Elena nods, arching a brow at me as she opens her mouth to say something. But, I interrupt her first. "He's a paramedic at the hospital that my brother and dad work at. Actually, he's also a friend of mine. I was sorry to hear about his brother, Kol.. I didn't really know him. But, from the stories I heard..…Wait a minute, you're-" I begin to say as she continues to give me a confused look when I finally state. "You're Elena Mikaelson, Kol's wife."

She nods, tears filling her eyes as I take a step back and Elena places her hand on to the door. "I am."

"Elena, I-." She cuts me off, lifting her hand from the door and wiping her dampened cheeks when she states. "Kol, said that you were his neighbor for a short time while he lived here. And, that your brother and him were good friends in college."

I nod, amazed by the fact that we're neighbors as Elena clears her throat and with a shaking voice she replies. "I know where to find you, Stefan...If I need your help with anything. Thanks for returning my bag." She adds in soft tone, telling me goodnight before she closes the door on me and I stand there, shaking my head in disbelief.

* * *

"Where the hell have you been!" Katherine nearly snarls when I finally make my way back into the apartment and see her sitting cross legged on the couch. She had her socks off, nails drying on my coffee table and a magazine in her hands, her facial expression is sour and pissed off when she looks up as I close the door and exhale deeply before replying.

"Why do you even care? Katherine, I really don't even know why you've invited yourself to live here with me. You make me miserable!" I tell her in a hostile tone as she gets up off the couch and laughs in an annoyed way.

"I make you miserable? Stefan, you're making yourself miserable with avoiding your true feelings for me. We both know that you still love me. We both know that you even still want me too." Katherine comments with a smirk, walking over to me and gliding her finger across my chest as she bats her eyelashes at me.

Play along, Stefan. My mind tells me as I let out a little laugh, sliding my hand down to hers and rubbing my thumb against her wrist. Katherine's brown eyes widen with pure amusement as I lean into her, our lips are just inches apart and she's within reaching distance of just me leaning over and kissing her. But, instead of doing so, I lean her back against the armrest of the couch, whispering as I pin her hands down into her lap when she tries to touch me again. "I don't want you like that anymore, Katherine. I actually, can't stand the sight of you. So, I suggestion you pack up all of your shit and leave. Because, here's what I want...I want you gone."

She shoves me off of her, fixing her hair and scoffing at my words. I watch her roll her eyes at me as she slips off her shirt, grinning when it falls to her feet as she adds. "You keep telling yourself that. But, I'm not going anywhere, Stefan. Now, if you want me in that other way that we both know you secretly do. I'll be in the bathroom, showering, alone and naked. Feel free to join in whenever you get the hell over yourself and realize that deep down, you still have feelings for me."

* * *

**Bonnie's P.O.V.**

"God damn it! Come on, come on..Start!" I shout at my car as it sputters and stops, the clicking noise indicating that the battery is dead makes me curse even more as I lean my head against the steering wheel and just when hit my hands against it in anger.

A knock on my window makes my heart jump into my throat as I glance around the nearly empty parking garage and then back to my side as he smiles at me, his hands are in his jacket and he's got a smirk on his face, blue eyes glistening.

"Bonnie." He nods when he says my name as I open the drivers side door, glancing up at him.

"Dr. Salvatore. Late night?" I ask him, hearing him laugh as he tilts his head to the side and glances at my keeps in the ignition. "You going home?" He asks me, hearing as I huff out a breath, turning my body towards him when I bite down on my lower lip when I reply. "I was heading home. But, my car won't start- at all."

"Oh, what's wrong with it?" He asks, walking towards the front of the car and rolling up his sleeves as when he pops the hood and looks under it, exhaling and then shutting it after a few minutes when I remark. "The battery seems to be dead."

Damon closes the door, placing his hand against it when he smiles and walks over to me, wiping his hands off his jeans. "My cars on a few rows over. Do you want me to help you jumpstart it or, I could even drive you home." He tells me, smiling as I sigh out a breath, considering his offer and looking around to see that it's getting later in the night and that we're both probably both exhausted from the day and late night shifts.

"When do you have to be back here?" He questions as I grab my purse from the back seat, stepping out of my car and locking the door behind me when I gaze up at him. "Not until 7am tomorrow morning. I have rounds and I'll be working in the E.R .again." I tell him, watching as he nods and smiles at me.

"I'll drive you home. We'll come back together to jump start your car in the morning. Since, I have to be back here around the same time. So, come on. Get your things and let's go." Damon instructs as he pivots on his heels, watching me over his shoulder when I grab a few things from the back seat, gazing over at him. "I'd hate to impose or have this be out of your way home."

He laughs, a deep hearted belly chuckle that makes me laugh too and then we just stand there, looking at each other for a long drawn out moment before he finally says. "I doubt it is. With my luck, you live near me." He comments with a wink, stepping in sync with me as we walk to his black BMW and he unlocks the car doors.

"Thank you for this, Damon." I tell him, looking up to see him smile as he shrugs his shoulders back when he adds. "It's not a problem, Bonnie. I like you, I like your company I mean...If I didn't like your company, I probably would have told you to walk home or something." He joked, hearing as I snorted out a laugh as he opened smiled and got into the car, starting it immediately.

"So, where am I taking you?" He asks, pulling out of the parking garage as he flicks on his turning signal when I utter out. "The Oxford apartments on 27th street." Damon huffs out a breath, turning towards the intersection and to the right when he glances over at me and shakes his head. _  
_

"What? Are you laughing at where I live. Look, I may seem cheap. But, this place is really expensive." I tell him, watching as he nods and then goes back to looking at the road in front of us.

"I know..Besides, you're mostly paying for the views you get. I should know." He says in a nonchalant tone as I smile and tilt my head to the side in confusion.

"Yeah...Wait, what do you mean- you know." I ask him, watching Damon tilt his head back, laughing as he turns to face me when he states with a smirk. "Because, I live there too."

* * *

**A/N:** Oh, Katherine...Stefan's going to have a hard time getting rid of her. lol ;)

Please let me know what you all thought. Love reading reviews & my readers thoughts. Hope you all enjoyed it.

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-Until Next Time!-


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: 60 reviews already!? Holy crap! You guys are awesome. :') Thank you all for reviewing, following, favoriting and just enjoying this story!  
**

**Enjoy! **

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* * *

**Crash Into Me- Chapter Seven **

**Caroline's P.O.V. **

"So, tell me about the ex boyfriend that you're going to need a few extra drinks telling me about." Klaus comments with a small smirk, getting up from his seat and tripping over himself as he laughs and looks up at with me glistening blue eyes. "Should I get more?" He asks, a lopsided grin never leaves his face as I look down at the small empty bottles, frowning a little bit.

"No, I have to work in the morning to pay my bills. I work at a coffee shop since this side gig of selling paintings isn't going so well." I explain as he rubs his face with his hands. He gives himself a moment, looking around the empty art gallery when he glances over at me and exhales deeply before he says in a sudden serious tone. "I'll help you pay your bills and your rent. All you need to do is come work for me, Caroline."

I'm laughing suddenly, hysterically almost as he gives me a confused look and then I finally compose myself, looking over at him when I spin my body around and lean my back against the small table that we'd been drinking cheap bottles of alcohol from various hotels that I had been at earlier in the year.

"I can't do that." I retort, getting a loud sigh out of Klaus. I watch him shake his head in disapproval, leaning one of his arms against the table, turning his body towards me when he smiles and says. "Yes, you can. I need another art dealer and I need someone who knows about art, who knows about pieces and collections and who better than an artist herself." He emphasis the word artist as if he really believes I'm someone famous.

"I'm a struggling artist, Klaus. You just bought all of my art pieces that I've drawn in the last year." I try to argue, gazing up at him when he gives me a wide eyed look and snaps his fingers together.

"Come work for me and make connections, Caroline. I know people who are both locally and internationally famous. You wouldn't believe the connections I have." He explains, confidence seeping through his tone as I tilt my head to the side and exhale, looking more around the empty and darkened building.

"It's fate, you know….That the two of us met." He tells me with a smile, locking his glance on to mine when he asks again, in a soft tone. "Will you come work for me and help me with this art gallery...Do you want to be my business partner?"

I inhale through gritted teeth, looking past him and once more examining the medium sized building, giving myself a moment to think about my pros and cons. And, for a second...I feel like I'm going to regret this. But, it's what he says next that makes me reconsider.

"If I don't have anyone help me with this, then I'm going to be doing it all alone and I couldn't handle that, I'd have to shut it down or hand it off to someone else eventually. And, to be honest. I don't think that's what Kol would have wanted when he meant for me to have this place. He wants me to succeed, Caroline. And, I think that I could do that with you by my side."

He watches me lick my bottom lip nervously as I push myself off the chair and my feet hit the ground. I secure my eyes on to his and finally reply. "Okay. But, you treat me like an employee and not a friend."

"Woah, we haven't even known each other that long and you've already upgraded our relationship status to friends?" Klaus asks me in a joking manner as I extend out my hand and slap his arm, watching him flinch, while a playful grin spreads across his lips.

"Yeah. I am. Buddy." I comment with a wink, pivoting on my heels and grabbing my purse as he gives me a confused look, watching my back turn towards him and hearing me clear my throat. "I better get going and you should really go deal with your family. So, I guess I'll see in the morning, boss."

"You don't need to call me that, just yet." He explains, taking a step towards me and placing his hand just above my head to catch the door with it as he smiles, his jacket's draped over one arm when he adds. "Let me take you home."

I pause, looking up at him, just about to open my mouth when he includes. "Friends do that for each other, don't they?"

"Klaus, it's really not necessary. I'll be just fine." I tell him, hearing him huff out an annoyed breath, turning away from me to shut off the lights in the gallery and lock the store front's door.

"I disagree. I've officially been upgraded to being your friend. So, let me drive you home." He tries again as I sigh, watching my warm breath mix into with the cold air as it creates a fog and I shrug my shoulders back. "Fine. But, I'm not letting you walk me to my door."

I hear him laugh, walking beside me in sync as he nods and states. "Okay, at least we've agreed on something then."

* * *

**Klaus's P.O.V. **

We both look up at the building, ignoring everything else around us when I hear Caroline finally speak up. "Let me go first. Give me a 10 minute head start."

"Why?" I ask her, smiling as she rolls her eyes at me and gives me an annoyed glance when she looks out the window and back up at the apartments.

"Because, you failed to mention that you live in the same building as I do." She reiterates as I let out a laugh, tapping my fingers against the steering wheel.

"I just moved here." I try to defend my unknowing knowledge as she cracks a small smile, her hand hovers over the door handle when she gazes over at me and says again. "10 minutes."

"Do you really think that 10 minutes is going to change anything. I'm going to eventually find out where you live, Caroline. Once I process your application for employment." I tell her with a wink, hearing her grumble something that I can barely even make out when she turns back towards me and smiles just a little. "Fine, okay. We'll go in together. But, once that elevator opens and I walk out towards my apartment...Just pretend that you don't know where I live."

"Fine, you ready to go in?" I ask her, a small smile appearing across my lips. Caroline nods, opening the door when she looks over at me again and adds. "On, three. One….Two…" Her voice trails off as I smile and shout. "Three! But, I'm racing you to the elevator!"

* * *

**Bonnie's P.O.V. **

I'm pushed back against the back guard railing of the elevator cabin as Damon smiles at me, laughing a little when he states. "This is so odd, isn't it...We live in the same building and neither of us noticed it before."

I open my mouth to say something, anything that doesn't sound stupid and just when I finally manage to curl my lips into a small and utter out a few words, we both freeze and I watch Damon hold the elevator doors open. A shouting of "Hold the elevator, mate!" is heard from lobby in a British accent as they rush into the cabin with goofy looking grins on their faces.

Damon and I both look over at each other, then back at the tall guy who's standing a little too close to the blonde who's smiling up at him like she's got this hidden secret. From a woman's point of view, I'd say that she looks like she's maybe a little drunk and has been enjoying his company for most of the night and going up to his place with just be the start of what they have planned.

I stare down at my phone awkwardly as Damon leans forward towards the keypad with the apartment levels on it and asks "Which floor?"

A snorting like noise leaves the mans mouth when he looks over at Damon and then pivots on his heels to stare over at me. "Dr. Salvatore and Nurse Bennett. Well, this just got interesting...Klaus Mikaelson, surely you both…" His voice trails off as I smile at him and then throw an uneasy stare towards Damon who's grinning at the blonde and then at Klaus.

"I had no idea you lived here, Mr. Mikaelson. But, it's good to see you again." Damon comments, pushing the button for the 3rd and 4th floors as he looks over at me and I nod in approval.

"Yeah, I just moved in actually. Decided to take this pretty lady out tonight." He clarifies as I finally speak up from behind them.

"Oh, she's your girlfriend?" I ask, hearing the blonde let out a high pitched nervous laugh when she turns towards me and locks her blue eyes on to mine.

"Not even close! I just finished a failed attempt at getting drunk with this one in hopes of forgetting my last break up. We didn't have big enough bottles of alcohol to go around for that story, though. So, maybe next time. We're newly acquainted business partners." She chimes in with a wink when we all glance up to hear the elevator doors open and I watch Damon, Klaus and the blonde step out of the elevator, he's trying to help her walk towards her apartment. But, she's pushing him away and telling him that she's just fine without him.

"I guess I'll see you in the morning then, Bonnie." Damon comments, smiling at me as I shift my gaze from the 'business partners' and refocus my eyes on to Damon.

"Yeah…" My voice trails off as I adjust my purse strap against my shoulder and watch the doors begin to close. But, standing there alone and watching him walk away from me, causes me to react in a way that I'd never do before, maybe it's something that he had said earlier, maybe it's the fact that I'm sick and tired of being alone and I don't want to miss my chance at whatever this is between us.

"Damon, Wait!" I shout out, holding the button down with my thumb and watching as the elevator doors fly back open fully. He pivots on his heels, halfway down the hall as he begins walking back towards me.

"What is it? Change of heart..Do you want to come over to my apartment that I share with my brother and have a drink?" He asks, smiling just a little wider at the thought of his own request.

I can feel my body tense as his blue eyes look me up and down, starting with my face. I become nervous when his gaze shifts down up and down my body briefly, and just then. He clears his throat as I finally add, "No..I mean, I'd love to do that. But, I have a problem in my apartment and I was going to call a plumber to fix it. However, I didn't have the time today and.." Damon cuts me off, by stepping back inside of the elevator as he grins at me when I ask. "What do you know about leaky faucets?"

"Faucets….? Uh, I fixed my brothers bathroom faucet in his apartment. I guess I can figure it out for you. Do you know why it's leaking?" He asks me with a smile, trying his hardest not to laugh when I inhale deeply and state. "It's my shower, it's been making this annoying drip, drip, drip noise. More than it should and I can't sleep at night because of it. Like, I said..I was going to call a plumber. Because-." I start to say as I watch him lift his hand up at me, a goofy looking smirk appearing on his face.

"Bonnie, if you wanted me to be your personal handy man all you had to do was ask. I'll see what I can do, just give me a few minutes to go change and then I'll swing by." He tells me, watching my face turn red when he concludes. "Also, if this is your way of making an indecent proposal of trying to get me to sleep with you, we're going to need to work on your flirting skills." He comments with a wink as I feel my face become heated from his comment and I quickly open my mouth to argue his statement.

"I was just kidding, Bennett. Lighten up. Let me just go change into some old clothes and I'll be up in about 20 minutes." He jokes, stepping out of the elevator as I push the stop button again, watching the doors close when I mumble out. "It's apartment number 437" right before the doors close completely and the elevator takes me straight to the fourth floor.

My hands are shaking when I finally get to my apartment and unlock the door, breathing heavily and leaning against it as the door closes and I stand there for a long moment, thinking about his words. "_We're going to need to work on your flirting skills…"_

* * *

**Stefan's P.O.V. **

The door unlocks as he walks into the apartment with a beaming smile across his face. "Good evening, little brother!" Damon comments, placing his bag on to the dining room table and looking around the room as he smiles over at me and asks. "So, is the evil little witch gone yet?"

I shake my head, exhaustion is evident on my face as we both look over to hear Katherine shriek from total embarrassment when she walks out into the hallway near the bathroom with just a towel wrapped loosely around her body. "You're still here...Ugh." Damon comments, rolling his eyes towards her with disgust as she crinkles her nose and places her hands on to her hips, that amused look that she was giving me earlier has been quickly replaced with an appalled glare towards my older brother.

"What the hell are you doing here? Stefan never said he lived with you." She states as I watch Damon shove off the couch, his smile drops a bit when he places his hands on to his heart and then looks over at me again with a playful gaze.

"Ouch, that hurts that you forgot to mention that little detail. Katherine, you must be so disappointed to know that I just ruined your night of hot passionate sex with my little brother. Well, I'm sorry to burst your bubble sweetheart. But, I really don't want to listen to your moaning all night long and I don't think Stefan does either. So, I suggest you go." Damon tells her. I swear that if it was possible to see steam and fire shooting out of someone's ears, that's what would be coming out of Katherine at the moment from my Damon's words.

"Are you seriously going to sleep with her?" Damon asks me as I choke out a laugh, shaking my head when I place the beer in my hands down on to the coffee table and I look over at Katherine who looks beyond pissed off.

"I already made that mistake once. I'm not doing it again. I honestly, still have no idea why she's even here. She's the one who seems to think that she can make me feel something for her. But, to be honest, Katherine. The moment you left me at the altar, waiting for you like an idiot, embarrassing myself in front of our family and friends, making my father lose the deposit on the venue that we had gotten, because you kept nagging about it. I knew that I was never going to love you again."

Katherine huffs out a breath, tears welling up into her eyes as I get up and step in between her and Damon. I nod at my brother who lifts his hands up in defeat and shakes his head, turning back towards me when he says. "If you tell her to stay. You'll be a fool, Stefan. Remember everything she did to you. She doesn't deserve your kindness, she doesn't even deserve to be here right now after the way she stood you up. It's pathetic!"

"Katherine…" I begin to say, watching as the tears that she had tried to prevent from escaping, start to fall down her cheeks and she exhales out a heavy breath. "No, let me talk...I'm sorry, Stefan. For everything, for thinking that I could come back here after leaving you and that you'd take me back. I'm sorry that I left you at the altar and made you think that marrying me would actually work. I love you, Stefan. But, you clearly don't feel the same way about me and, this just made me realize it. So, I'm going to pick up my things and find a hotel."

I'm stunned at the how easy this was, at how simple it seems to get rid of her. But, something in the pit of my stomach, the knots building in my gut tell me that, this won't be the last contact I'll have with Katherine Pierce.

"You're really just going to leave town?" I ask her, trying to gauge where her heads at when she nods, turning away from me, Katherine shrugs her shoulders back and adds. "I don't have a choice. Unless, you change your mind and decide that you want me back. I don't have a reason to be here. So, until then..I'll be around, waiting." She comments, taking a step towards me and leaving a kiss against my cheek, her thumb caresses my face gently right when she whispers. "I'll be waiting. All you need to do is call me when you're ready, Stefan."

* * *

**Elena's P.O.V. **

The sun shines in through the blinds as I feel the warmth of it hit my skin the next morning. My body is aching and sore and there are dried up patches of tears on my pillow when I lift my head up off of it, looking around the room and realizing that I must of cried myself to sleep last night after Rebekah had left me alone. My head hurts and my eyes take a moment to adjust to my new surroundings as I hear a knock at the door and his rough sounding voice flows into my room.

"I have to go to work. It's about 7:30 in the morning, Rebekah and Matt left to go to a farmers market near by. So, that we can get some food for that empty fridge of mine. But, make yourself at home, Elena. This place is yours now, anyways. Oh and, feel free to eat the left overs, and to drink the hot coffee that's brewing in the kitchen." Elijah tells me as I hear his footsteps back away from my door and then the front door closes, leaving me all alone in the unfamiliar space.

I fall back against the sheets, closing my eyes and trying to picture what it must have been like for Kol when he was living here. But, nothing comes into view, not even a feeling that he's around me. The quiet is eerie though, it makes my heart drop into my stomach and suddenly I get an urge to leave the apartment.

"I can't stay here." I mumble under my breath, pushing up off the bed. I lean down and rummage through my bag grabbing a long sleeve black NorthFace shirt with my black yoga pants, briskly changing into them. I inhale deeply as I turn to look outside and smile when I feel the warmth continue to hit my face from the sun that hasn't been swallowed up by the looming gray clouds in the sky.

A good twenty minutes goes by as I leave Rebekah a note, telling her that I'll have my cell phone with me, if she needs to call me and that I'm just going to go on a jog through the city, to get reacquainted with the place that I once called home. My actions are quick as I grab my headphones and plug them into my Iphone, cranking the only playlist that had always helped me with my jogs, one that Kol had made for me when we had first started going out, the music rings into my ears, right when I step out the door and make my way outside.

* * *

The cold air doesn't take long to hit against my exposed skin as I make my way out of the building and out towards the street. But, just as I look both ways and extend out my foot to cross. I hear a voice from behind me, yelling out to me, telling me to stop.

"Hey! You forget this in the lobby..Hey, wait up!" He shouts, and when I look up at him. I can't help but smile. We're both wearing workout clothes. He smiles when he walks up to me and hands me my apartment key.

"Thanks." I tell him shyly as he nods and makes the quick observation. "Going on a walk?" He asks me with a small smile as I nod, pointing to his running shoes.

"A jog, actually. Woke up feeling kind of weird this morning, was hoping this would help me." I comment, hearing Stefan make a whistling noise, he rocks back and forth on the soles of his red and white Nike's when he looks out towards the busy intersection. "Would it be completely inappropriate if I joined you..I woke up feeling pretty shitty too. My ex fiance finally left and I couldn't sleep last night. So, I jog when I get anxious or stressed, I like the adrenaline rush it gives me."

He places his hands into his pockets, looking up at me when I lick my lips and smile just a little at him. "I don't mind a jogging partner. I haven't had one in years..My husband..He used to be…" My voice trails off as I sigh out a breath and I feel Stefan place his hand onto my shoulder gently, almost in a comforting way.

"Hey, Elena. It's okay to talk about him...It's totally okay. He sounded like an amazing guy." Stefan comments, staring up at the cross walk light that's changed from stop to go as I swallow the lump forming in my throat and sync my steps with Stefan's when he turns towards me and adds. "I tell you what...Whenever you feel like you want someone to talk to about your husband. You can talk to me. I'm a pretty good listener." He tells me, allowing me to go in front of him as I shake my head.

"I don't want to burden you with my problems, with my memories…" I tell him as he locks his green eyes on to my brown gaze, speaking softly. "You need someone to talk to about him and I'm offering to be that person. Look, if you don't want to talk now. Then, that's fine. Maybe over the course of our morning jogs, we'll get to that point when you open up to me about him."

"Morning jogs?" I ask him, giving Stefan a confused look as he picks up his pace and turns around to look up at me again. His green eyes are shining, a pearly white smile forms when he laughs and then explains. "Yeah, you said it yourself..You need a jogging partner and I'm available. We'll test each other and see how far we get. It'll be fun and, it's a way to get to know you. Which, I'd like to do."

* * *

Every muscle in my body aches, every nerve and tendon is screaming for mercy as I push past Stefan and cut him off on the jogging paved trail near the water that we're walking by, the music from my headphones is blaring that one catchy Ellie Goulding tune as I start to sing it out loud, and I can barely hear Stefan laugh. " Only you can be the aching in my heart...My enemy, the only animal I couldn't fight...You hold me in the dark when storms arrive...Only you…"

"Nice song. But your too slow." He comments, pushing past me quickly. Which makes me pick up my pace and in that moment, my breathing becomes labored, my legs quickly turn into jello from just running a mile to get here so far and I feel dizzy. I stop, looking around to find a place to sit down and that's when I sit down on the bench near the water that over looks Seattle's sunny skies and large skyscrapers. I take a moment, catching my breath, to calm myself.

Stefan's somewhat far away. But, I see him looking back behind him at me as I take a seat on the bench near the ocean view in front of us and I hear him run back towards me, sliding into the empty space next to me. His face is red, clothing is probably drenched with sweat, just like mine is when he suddenly blurts out. " Are you okay? Do you want to have breakfast with me?"

"Just a little light headed, it's not a big deal. And, actually this run was enough for me today." I explain, watching him look out towards the water and across towards the buildings as he smiles and asks. "Everyone needs to eat, Elena. I'm starving and I hate eating alone. So, how about we go back to the apartment, get cleaned up and I'll take you out."

I exhale deeply, looking out towards the water and trying avoid his comment when he softly adds. "Just two people enjoying each other's company. It doesn't need to be anything more than that."

"Stefan, I don't know.. Kol's family is in town and if I-." I start to say as he nods his head, looking down at the ground, biting his lower lip with his teeth. " Ah, I get it. You don't want them to get the wrong idea, if you end up going out with me. Never mind then. Maybe next time we go for a jog."

I smile just a little, nodding my head and looking over at him when I state. "Thank you."

Stefan's eyebrows furrow, his face contours and I can tell he's confused for a moment. But, when he looks at me and I smile up at him without saying a word. I can tell he knows why I'm thanking him for. "For a moment, you felt a little bit more alive and better, it hurt less. Didn't it?" He asks me, glancing over at me as my gaze falls on to a couple walking past, pushing a stroller with a small newborn baby in it, suddenly the heavy feeling in my heart that I've had since Kol died, returns.

"Yeah, for a moment it did." I remark, hearing him sigh out a breath as he lifts himself up and extends out his hands to me. "We should head back."

I take his hand as he pulls me up and we're just inches apart from each other when he smiles and questions. "Same jogging route, same time... tomorrow?"

I nod in agreement, slowly walking beside him when I comment. "Yeah, I'd like that. Same time, Same place, tomorrow."

* * *

**A/N: Please let me know what you all think, feel free to leave me a review.**

** I'm slowly building the relationships between everyone because I don't want to make it too quick, especially for Elena and Stefan. But, now that they all know each other, everyone will be interacting more and more with one another and things will get even more interesting! :)**

**Thanks so much for reading & Until Next Time!**


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